Greenpeace - Making Waves: Microsoft goes to Copenhagen

Microsoft replied to our twitter petition today - more than 230 twitterers with more than 110,000 followers, retweeted our message. Our near crazed fantasies about Steve Ballmer morphing into a climate change hero have been met with a some response. Microsoft has just announced on their blog that it will be going to the Copenhagen climate summit. Wunderbar!

But wait, what for again? Well, before you all reach for your greenwash panic alarms - lets look at the details.

One. Political position

Microsoft has identified the need for a rise in global temperature to stay below 2 degrees. Ok. This is a good starting point and a necessary one. However, keeping below 2 degrees means reducing emissions in the short term before 2020 (a 50 to 85 percent global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 means strong targets by 2020 first).

These kind of cuts demand fast action. Microsoft support support ambitious targets for industrialized countries, which means reductions of at least 25-40 percent over 1990 levels by 2020 in the US. At the moment Obama is saying "how about four to seven percent?" - which just isn't good enough.

Two. Own emissions

Microsoft still hasn't shelved its no-good "relative" emissions reduction target. To follow through with its stated goal to "lead by example" Microsoft must break with business-as-usual and get its own house in order.

With absolute emissions targets, the company's 30 percent goal will start to look like something others can aspire to.

Microsoft acknowledges that "broader use of renewable and zero-carbon energy sources" is required in addition to dramatic energy conservation, however, they see their role more in terms of energy efficiency and smart grids.

Ballmer and other top execs should use their influence to pressure legislators for the kind of binding system that incentivizes clean energy instead of subsidizing fossil fuels, and that ensures big polluters really pay for their carbon emissions.

Microsoft knows how to lobby, now they just have to do it for the right result.

Invisible sammich

So if there's no real change in Microsoft's position, you might wonder, are a dozen Microsoft executives going to Copenhagen for the Danish pastries? (Ballmer's "invisible sammich" springs to mind).

From the summit, Microsoft's delegation might be able to convince Steve and senior executives how urgent a deal for the climate is; that this time, there's only one Window open, and Copenhagen is it.

Thank you for taking action on twitter!

Can you find yourself amongst our Twitter petitioners?

(This is an image of Steve Ballmer made from 200 or so twitterers who signed our petition before Microsoft responded. Made with AndreaMosaic freeware mosaic software.)

Comments

Hi Melissa...,
Great article, and I'm grateful to you and Greenpeace for clarification. I couldn't agree more on focusing on renewable energy sources, rather than slowing the flow of fossil fuels. I was dissapointed to see Al Gore so heavily investing in smart grids, and other 'green energy' profiteering corporations. I suppose it's the American dream, but these kinds of profits already being awarded are extreme, and only hurt the poorest of people in our world, that will wind up paying for these enormous profits of theirs. I'm sorry to see Al doing this, and taking personal advantage of this very serious problem we face - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/6491195/Al-Gore-could-become-worlds-first-carbon-billionaire.html#postComment

Posted by: Grateful Child | December 4, 2009 8:37 PM

Wake up!!! Save the World! Together We Can Do It!!!

Posted by: Niki | December 5, 2009 2:56 AM

awesome collage - not sure if Balmer would fit pass the the "idealist" you would need for a climate change person tho

Posted by: Wes Hammond | December 8, 2009 6:24 AM

"Microsoft stands ready to help."

http://microsoftontheissues.com/cs/blogs/mscorp/archive/2009/12/19/reporting-back-microsoft-at-the-copenhagen-climate-change-conference.aspx

And I believe IT, including Microsoft, may have a significant role in a treaty to effectively mitigate anthropogenic climate effect, specifically role in assurance of transparency and reporting, both of which seem necessary.

I still wonder if Microsoft made more noise @ Copenhagen than did Organic Agriculture...

Posted by: listenin | December 26, 2009 2:52 PM