Welcome to Climate Forward, a special limited series from The New York Times. Join us for honest and vital conversations about the escalating threat of climate change, featuring insights from influential world leaders, business pioneers, and policymakers. These discussions were recorded live at the annual Climate Forward conference in the heart of New York City.
During a compelling live session at the Climate Forward event, we heard from Melanie Nakagawa and Kate Brandt, the dedicated chief sustainability officers for Microsoft and Google, respectively. They delved into the profound impact of the burgeoning artificial intelligence sector on their companies’ ambitious targets to achieve net-zero or even climate-positive emissions by 2030.
The rapid expansion of AI is fueling an unprecedented construction boom of data centers, directly contributing to a recent surge in these tech giants’ greenhouse gas emissions. This raises a crucial question: How can we power the AI revolution without intensifying the global climate crisis? Nakagawa and Brandt offered compelling insights into their companies’ strategic investments in next-generation solutions, including advanced nuclear energy, innovative carbon capture technologies, and a broad spectrum of clean energy initiatives.
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Melanie Nakagawa and Kate Brandt: Leaders in Sustainable AI
Evan Roberts produced this episode, with hosting by David Gelles. Original music was created by Dan Powell, and engineering was handled by Kelly Pieklo and Katie McMurran.