Episode 47 - The Azure Dilemma with Holly Alpine & Will Alpine

In this 2-part Green IO podcast, Holly Alpine and Will Alpine shared with Gaël DUEZ their experience at Azure and the sustainability initiatives developed. Hear their story about going solo after struggling to accept that Microsoft's outspoken stance on the ethics of technology and sustainability was at odds with providing advanced technologies and high-performance computing for purposes of increasing fossil fuel production.

🎧Listen to E47.a here and E47.b there.

🌱 Sustainability landscape

Microsoft employs about 150k people across the globe, and Azure has roughly 20% of the global cloud market, second only to AWS. It has been developing responsible AI standards and energy principles. There is a dedicated corporate sustainability team, and bottom up community-based programmes are in place.

🤯 ‘Enabled’ emissions

Microsoft was at one time leading the industry on emissions reduction, with hard hitting net zero targets in line with the Paris Agreement. Yet as deals were struck with big players such as Chevron, Exxon or BP to expand oil production and operational efficiency, the oil and gas market is now a sizable share of Microsoft's cloud and AI revenue.

⚖️ Cognitive dissonance

Microsoft's extremely outspoken stance on the ethics of technology and sustainability was clearly at odds with providing advanced technologies to high-performance computing fossil fuel companies to increase fuel production and so carbon emissions. This dissonance led to Holly and Will’s decisions to quit their dream company, raising the thorny question of whether AI is a “climate tool or a weapon”.

🎯Way forward for tech giants?

Holly and Will are keen to stress that this dissonance is a global issue and there is an urgent need for collaboration across the industry. Business activities must be aligned with climate science, and examples of principles to embed in the future include:

-  Responsible AI standards must evaluate technology impacts on humans and planet

-  Fossil fuel industry should not be supplied with custom technology

-  Fossil fuel industry needs Net zero targets and standards

-  Scope 3 emissions are needed

-  Regulation is necessary yet must allow for creativity and innovation

-  Need transparency on data and accounting methodology

💡Future direction

Will and Holly now concentrate on raising awareness, mobilizing stakeholders, and push for research and policy reform. As for the tech industry, it needs to cultivate a different relationship with customers to focus on renewables and tech innovation for safe, reliable, clean energy. It is an enormous responsibility to ensure that technology benefits both people and planet. Yet Will spoke of courage, and how it can be contagious: “Any act of speaking the truth can cause incalculable transformations and social consciousness. We all have this power. It's a moral act to use this power. You may or may not achieve the results you wanted, but there's eternal beauty trying to find truth, risking what you have…for what's right”.

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