IBM to Achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030; Already Using AI, Cloud and Quantum Computing to Apply Science to Climate-Related Problems

(HPCWire) IBM announced February 16 that it will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 to further its decades-long work to address the global climate crisis.
Utilizing a combination of artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud and quantum computing, IBM researchers are working with clients and partners to apply science to complex climate-related problems, such as the growing global carbon footprint of cloud workloads and data centers, methods to accurately model and assess the risk of changing environments and climate patterns, and the development of new polymers, membranes and materials that can capture and absorb carbon at the origin of emission.
As part of IBM’s commitment to sustainability and its focus on the application of science and technology to solve major societal challenges, IBM Research has launched a Future of Climate initiative designed to accelerate the discovery of solutions to address the impacts of a changing climate.
IBM’s advocacy for environmental sustainability dates back decades, with its first corporate environmental policy statement issued in 1971. Since 1990, IBM has disclosed its performance in managing waste, conserving energy, using renewable electricity, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and developing innovative solutions in an annual Corporate Environmental Report. In 2007, IBM publicly stated its position on climate change, saying that “climate change is a serious concern that warrants meaningful action on a global basis to stabilize the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases.”