In an era where global sustainability is paramount, organizations face the challenge of translating pledges into actionable progress. Despite the strategic importance placed on sustainability by 85% of executives, only a mere 16% have seamlessly integrated it into their business strategies.
Introducing a suite of new data and AI solutions within the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, aimed at providing organizations with the tools they need to expedite their sustainability journey. These solutions offer accelerated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data analytics and insights, alongside an AI assistant designed to streamline decision-making and reporting processes.
Microsoft Fabric emerges as the central analytics platform for sustainability data. Launched in May 2023, Microsoft Fabric serves as an end-to-end SaaS platform, amalgamating an organization’s enterprise data, including previously inaccessible ESG data. Now in preview, sustainability data solutions within Microsoft Fabric offer organizations pre-built ESG data models, connectors, and reporting capabilities, facilitating faster insights and progress tracking.
Copilot and intelligent insights, now in preview within Microsoft Sustainability Manager, offer AI-driven assistance for enhanced decision-making. Leveraging generative AI and natural language queries, Copilot enables organizations to swiftly analyze environmental data, draft preparatory reports, and engage with sustainability data in a conversational manner. Intelligent insights further augment this by providing an integrated AI model for in-depth analysis of emissions data, aiding in identifying reduction opportunities and optimizing decisions based on historical trends and anomalies.
Moreover, the ESG value chain solution within Microsoft Sustainability Manager, now generally available, enables organizations to streamline data collection from suppliers and identify emissions reduction opportunities within their value chain. This solution proves vital, as supplier activities often contribute significantly to an organization’s emissions footprint.
Real-world examples showcase the efficacy of these solutions, such as Södra, Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, which has leveraged Microsoft Sustainability Manager to enhance reporting practices and streamline data collection processes.
Further emphasizing the transformative potential of sustainability initiatives, Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability facilitates partnerships and fosters innovation. Allegiant Stadium, home to the Las Vegas Raiders, stands as a testament to this, utilizing Microsoft solutions to achieve LEED Gold certification and operate entirely on renewable energy sources.
With an ecosystem of sustainability solution partners, including Avanade, Microsoft endeavors to address the multifaceted challenges of sustainability by harnessing the power of AI responsibly. By leveraging data and AI, organizations can not only drive efficiency and accuracy in decision-making but also uncover new avenues for business growth, propelling us towards a transformative future of sustainability.
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Author
Deepthi Bennan
Marketing Manager, Cyberwaves B.V.