This is the first posting
of an interview series with representatives
of global IT brands, who are in Cancun this
week at COP16, the international climate
conference. I’m
talking with them to find out what’s on
the agenda while they’re here, what they
are doing to drive stronger government leadership
during the negotiations and beyond, and
how they plan to enable the low carbon economy
with IT solutions.
The first company I
spoke with is Microsoft. Microsoft’s performance
on our Cool IT Leaderboard has historically
not been in line with what we’d expect from
the company founded by innovator Bill Gates,
a philanthropic leader of industry. In fact,
the company’s score fell five places (from
7th to 12th) in Version 4, which was released
yesterday.
As other brands pull
forward with strengthened performance on
IT solutions, energy footprint, and advocacy,
Microsoft has shown relatively little improvement.
The company receives a negative lobbying
penalty for its membership in Business Europe,
which opposes an 30% greenhouse gas reduction
target for the EU.
However, Microsoft has
representatives at COP16, and they’ve attnded
many events this week to raise awareness
about IT’s role in solving the climate crisis.
I caught up with Ray Pinto, Microsoft’s
Senior Government Affairs Manager in Europe,
to ask him about Microsoft’s objectives
in Cancun and to get a sense of whether
we will see a higher degree of leadership
from Microsoft in the coming year. Here
are some of the things he had to say:
Jodie Van Horn: Why
are you attending the climate negotiations
in Cancun?
Ray Pinto: I’m attending
as Microsoft, but I also represent TechAmerica
Europe, a UN observer, and GeSi. The number
one objective is to have negotiators, people
working with government, NGOs and IGOs,
understand that [IT] could contribute to
major carbon abatement and provide some
solutions.
Our industry, Microsoft,
and these associations (TechAmerica and
Gesi) really want a positive outcome at
these negotiations. We were told last year
when we first showed up [in Copenhagen]
that if we show our face and speak out openly,
it would help the process. This is what
we signed up for when given UN observer
status last year.
Our company and many
other companies down here are signing declarations,
attending meetings, trying to meet with
delegations. In our view, priority number
one is that a framework should happen, but
failing that, keep this process going and
try to see how the technologies can accelerate
the end-goal objectives of what negotiators
are trying to do.
The committee responsible
for technology transfers has decided that
there should be a creation of an advisory
group that can consult to all the different
countries involved where and how technology
can play a role. This is automatically something
that we would encourage and want to be involved
in.
Ray sent the following
description of the proposed groups:
They are proposing to
set up a Technical Executive Committee and
Climate Technology Centre and Network. The
functions of both bodies will be to advise
and accelerate ICT adoption, create roadmaps,
regulatory frameworks and best practice
guidelines, remove barriers and stimulate
private sector cooperation.
JVH: How many COPs has
Microsoft previously attended?
RP: Copenhagen was the
first. Microsoft was involved in previous
COPs, but there was never really a clear
roadmap of how to engage with the delegates,
so participation was ad hoc. Copenhagen
was communicated as a possibility for real
integration and an opportunity to help the
process. At the time it really did seem
that our presence would help strengthen
the resolve of governments to seal the deal.
So the [IT] industry came down in force.
On site we realized
that the process is a very complex one and
though governments were open to engage with
us, there wasn’t really a clear track focused
on [IT]. It looks like now the negotiators
are understanding that technology can play
a major role. Technology needs to be transferred
to developing countries. And the creation
of [a Technical Executive Committee and
Climate Technology Centre and Network] should
help promote private sector engagement.
JVH: What does the IT
sector need to do to have its solutions
better understood and be looked to by governments
as an essential part of the policy making
process?
RP: Microsoft and the
members of TechAmerica Europe and GeSi are
holding a CEO roundtable with ministers
from India, Mexico, and South Africa to
do exactly that – to see how can we build
greater awareness of what [IT] can achieve.
The priority clearly
remains in having measurable [IT solutions]
and verifiably proving that they can take
the carbon out. We need to have live projects
up and running quickly. There are already
today best practices and pilot projects
that are being monitored, and we will hopefully
soon have benchmarking results. That’s a
priority focus for industry.
What would be encouraging
is for industries to recognize that there
are serious cost savings for them. Governments
can lead by example, like the UNEP, in creating
sustainable industries and buildings. The
IT industry needs courageous leaders, like
the European Environment Agency, who want
to set up communication platforms like Eye
on Earth. That, I think, will firmly speed
up this process.
JVH: What do you see
as the biggest hurdle to the adoption of
IT solutions?
RP: Lack of awareness.
General lack of awareness of what the ICT
potential is. And lack of data that can
prove the enabling power of [IT solutions].
Imperial college is currently investigating
in the U.K., Germany, France and Sweden,
how exactly and which technologies can lead
to how much abatement. We need to accelerate
that process. And that will help build trust
with governments and prove [IT’s] enabling
power.
