Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability Empowers with New Data and AI Solutions
We all agree that sustainability is crucial for organizational advancement. In a recent survey, 85% of executives recognize its strategic importance, yet only 16% have fully integrated it into their business strategies. As the urgency of global sustainability increases, organizations require concrete, transformative solutions to accelerate progress. However, many have not advanced as much as desired.
Microsoft has unveiled innovative data and AI solutions within Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability. This offers all the essential tools for organizations to advance in their sustainability endeavors. These encompass accelerated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data analytics and insights. An AI assistant for expediting impactful decision-making and reporting, along with other cutting-edge capabilities. All these aimed at propelling organizations forward swiftly.
Introducing Microsoft Fabric: Comprehensive Analytics Hub for Sustainability Data
In May 2023, Microsoft unveiled Fabric, a complete SaaS analytics platform designed to consolidate an organization’s enterprise data, including previously inaccessible ESG data. With Fabric, your teams can seamlessly access data from any source, leverage AI-driven analytics tools for actionable insights, and integrate these insights into daily applications to enhance decision-making.
From Copilot to new data solutions in Microsoft Fabric, we are bringing new capabilities to our Cloud for Sustainability, as we help organizations across every industry move from pledges to progress…Satya Nadella
Now available in preview, the sustainability data solutions within Microsoft Fabric enable organizations to expedite insights and progress by offering pre-built ESG data models, connectors, and reporting capabilities. By integrating your ESG data with Fabric, you can transform vast amounts of sustainability data into meaningful progress indicators.
Empowering Better Decisions with Copilot and Intelligent Insights
Microsoft Sustainability Manager’s preview phase introduces central data management and Microsoft Copilot features, empowering organizations with efficient AI-driven insights. These tools enable swift access to data-driven answers through powerful generative AI and natural language queries. Microsoft Copilot accelerates environmental data analysis, sustainability querying, and report drafting, improving productivity and resource allocation.
Additionally, organizations previewing Microsoft Sustainability Manager access an integrated AI model for in-depth emissions data analysis. It identifies data cleaning needs, evaluates short- and long-term reduction opportunities, and refines decisions using historical trends.
Now let’s understand the real-world impact:
Real-World Impact: Södra’s Sustainability Journey
Södra, Sweden’s leading forest-owner association, has leveraged Microsoft Sustainability Manager’s AI capabilities to streamline sustainability practices and reporting processes. Through automated workflows and features like Copilot, Södra has significantly enhanced productivity, accelerating its sustainability progress.
Cristian Brolin, Chief Digital Officer at Södra, remarks, “With the AI capabilities in Microsoft Sustainability Manager, we can be more productive, which is our ultimate goal… We are excited to see how this solution helps accelerate our sustainability progress.”
Driving Emissions Reduction Across the Value Chain
Recognizing the significance of supplier activities in emissions footprints, Microsoft offers the ESG value chain solution within Sustainability Manager, now generally available. This solution simplifies data collection, streamlines supplier engagement, and enables advanced analytics to identify emissions reduction opportunities within the value chain.
Partners, particularly those at the nexus of sustainability and AI, can extend Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability’s capabilities.
Wrapping Up
The convergence of sustainability and AI offers boundless opportunities for organizations to reshape operations, redefine brands, and discover new avenues. Microsoft AI addresses these needs responsibly through rigorous evaluation and validation, enabling tangible sustainability progress. Leveraging data and AI fosters enhanced decision-making, reporting precision, and innovative business strategies, paving the way for a transformative future.
