Yesterday, a major collaboration between Microsoft, Chevron and Schlumberger, an oilfield services company, was announced. This partnership outlines Microsoft's use of "a cloud-based artificial intelligence platform to improve digital services in the oil field.” This news just days before the Global Climate Strike is a timely example of the awful clash between our economic system and survival of the planet.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declares 2030 as the tipping point for irreversible damage to our planet. It is imperative for industry leaders such as Microsoft to respond to this emergency as soon as possible and set an example for other tech companies. This is humanity's biggest challenge, requiring the contributions from corporations, organizations, and government to enact systemic change.
The youth have realized that climate change is a threat insurmountable by individual action and have called upon the rest of the world to support them. We must use the Global Climate Strike, inspired by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg's school strikes, as an opportunity to stand together and demand the transformation that our world needs. Doing so is not only taking responsibility for the mistakes that future generations will have to pay for but also the only viable way forward.
Our company should reconsider its technology support of oil and gas exploitation, and should have a deliberate plan to withdraw our innovation from that sector, as a matter of principal.
One could defend our contracts with oil and gas by suggesting that our technology helps in their R&D efforts to develop sustainable energy. Yet, Azure Executive Tom Keane, in discussing Microsoft's multimillion dollar contract with Chevron, asked "How can we [..] more efficiently do oil exploration? Or more efficiently do sensor management from an offshore oil rig?"
Furthermore, Microsoft struck a deal last year with Norweigen petroleum company Equinor worth "hundreds of millions of dollars" and participated in an oil and gas conference with the goal of "Empowering Oil and Gas with AI." Earlier this year, Microsoft announced a new contract with Exxon Mobil, which the company says is "the industry's largest in cloud computing."
As Microsoft workers, whilst we are proud of the efforts the company has made towards improving sustainability, we must do more.
The Global Climate Strike is an opportunity for Microsoft to set an example as a leader in the tech industry. The company has taken many initiatives that focus on individual contributions, such as educating employees on composting, reducing waste, and making our campus carbon neutral. There are also efforts to leverage artificial intelligence to solve specific and important climate-related problems. However, given the urgency and complexity of the crisis, these actions are not enough.
If we want to make real impact, all of us need to mobilize, work together, and demand a fundamental change in Microsoft's priorities.
Following our mission to "Empower every person and every organization in the planet to achieve more", it is essential that we secure a planet with livable conditions for everyone.
Big Oil should not have the luxury of choosing the most convenient and profitable service. It is imperative that all tech companies stand together, denounce the usage of Cloud and AI services for non-renewable energy extraction, and work together to put an end to fossil fuel consumption.
We stand with the Amazon and Google by supporting their demands:
- Zero emissions by 2030.
- Zero contracts for fossil fuel companies to accelerate oil and gas extraction.
- Zero funding for climate denying lobbyists and politicians.
We call on to Microsoft Employees to sign our pledge and join us on September 20th to demand the change we wish to see.
Signed, Microsoft Employees