Microsoft sustainability in action - protecting puffins with AI

One of the favourite parts of my role as Chief Sustainability Officer for Microsoft in the UK is getting out and about with our customers and having the opportunity to see the real-life impact that our technology has on shaping a truly sustainable future.

Back in September 2021, SSE Renewables, Microsoft, Avanade and NatureScot joined forces with one goal in mind; to use technology to enable a dwindling puffin population to not only survive but thrive, especially with a wind farm not far from their home on the Isle of May in Scotland. The outcome saw us?trialling a new way?of counting puffins to see if the population is growing or shrinking. We did that using artificial intelligence, machine learning and image recognition technology. And one of the important outputs of that data is to support the due diligence required for the planning process of building more wind farms, with the demand for renewable energy on the rise in the UK.??

I was recently lucky enough to join the BBC Click team with SSE Renewables on a trip to the Isle of May to witness the progress that has been made. You can watch the full report?here?(6m 52). I found the trip incredibly inspiring, not only because I was able to get up close and personal with the puffins, but also to be able to see our technology in action and what that means for us all as we take strides towards a more sustainable tomorrow.

With that in mind, I wanted to share my top three takeaways from the trip.

1.??????When implemented correctly, technology can play a crucial role in standing-up to sustainability challenges.

It was a huge privilege to spend the day on the Isle of May in the puffin's natural habitat. As an endangered species in the UK, it’s critical that we do as much as we can to protect them. Whilst there is no one silver bullet when it comes to conservation, seeing the capability of our technology and the AI platform we’ve built with SSE Renewables and Avanade (as well as all the potential other use cases in this area) was so inspiring.

I could also see what that means in terms of driving efficiencies for the rangers on the island and how much easier it makes the life of the Head Ranger, there, David Steel.??Ultimately, the AI solution has freed David and his team-up to focus their efforts and expertise on what really matters – building a sustainable future for the puffins. That’s something I am truly proud of.???

2. We must continue bringing sustainability to life for everyone.?

For many people, the climate crisis can feel quite far-removed from their day-to-day lives and/or in many cases, can be very overwhelming when considering the size of the challenge ahead of us. Sharing stories of where we can see sustainability in action in terms of driving the agenda forward not only makes the climate crisis relevant, but it can also be incredibly important in inspiring others to think about what other sorts of things can be done. We must all take responsibility for driving change, so sharing shining examples of successes that make sustainability more accessible for all is important in sparking new innovation.

3. We must leave no stone unturned when it comes to making a difference.?

I’ve got big plans for Microsoft in the UK from a sustainability perspective; I’m leaving no stone unturned! I'm looking at everything from how we can drive more efficiencies internally at Microsoft to how we’re engaging with our employees and out in the market and with the UK government. I'm also spending lots of time with our customers who are looking to Microsoft to help accelerate their own sustainability journeys using our technology so I’m looking intensely at how we align around driving more sustainable outcomes for our customers and partners, which will mean we’re collectively helping the UK overall to be more sustainable.?

My key takeaway is that every avenue is worth exploring. We can’t take a tunnel-visioned approach to sustainability; collectively we must be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. If we want to create impactful, long-lasting change, we need to explore what’s possible.??So when it comes to sustainability and the global climate challenge, each and every one of us has a major role to play in how we're doing our part in finding and delivering solutions to some of the world’s problems.

I would love to hear where you are on your own sustainability journey and what sorts of great innovation and initiatives you've seen to put sustainability into action. Let me know in the comments below.