(Redmond, WA, Tuesday, April 16, 2019) – New research from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) commissioned by Microsoft shows that AI is one of the rare technologies with the potential to allow for economic growth while reducing emissions. According to the study, AI adoption across even just a limited number of environmentally relevant sectors could contribute $5.2 trillion to the global economy, boosting GDP by as much as 4.4 percent by 2030, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4 percent by 2030 compared to business as usual.

Microsoft President Brad Smith announced today that the company plans to double down on a tech-first approach to its operations, products and work with customers, investments in data science and policy advocacy to drive forward global sustainability efforts.

The new approach builds on the company’s long history of work in renewable energy, carbon and environmental science. The company has also operated carbon neutral since 2012, driven by a unique internal carbon tax levied across its global business.

The new vision will be guided by a new roadmap, also announced today, with specific commitments in operations, including a zero-carbon campus, in products and with customers with new approaches to co-innovation, in data science by hosting new canonical environmental science data sets and with policy by joining a coalition in support of a national carbon pricing approach.