Microsoft grantee FarmBeats uses data and tech to increase crop yields.
Microsoft grantee FarmBeats uses data and tech to increase crop yields. Microsoft

On Monday, Microsoft announced that the tech giant will be investing $50 million to bring cloud-computing and other Microsoft services to organizations working to combat climate change, as Geek Wire reports.

The announcement was made by company President Brad Smith at the One Climate Summit in Paris, a conference for global and business leaders who don't think climate change is a Chinese hoax.

The investment, which will be doled out over the next 5 years, is a part of AI for Earth, a program Microsoft launched in July that aims to put emerging technological tools in the hands of non-profits, universities, NGOs, and other groups working to save the planet from imminent ecological destruction. Initially, the Redmond company had pledged $2 million toward the program—which is available for groups working in the fields of agriculture, biodiversity, and water, as well as climate change—so $50 million is quite the leap up. In the first six months, Microsoft has awarded 35 grants in 10 countries, which gives them access to Microsoft's cloud computing and artificial intelligence tech. Grant awardees include a group using tech in land mapping; another, FarmBeats, working in "smart agriculture"; and a group using tech-enabled mosquito traps that collect data and help stop disease outbreaks before they start.

Despite the Trump administration's complete disinterest in anything green that doesn't involve money or putting, Microsoft joined over 2,500 American companies, universities, cities, states, tribes, and churches in pledging to lower their carbon emissions. The United States is the only country in the world that has failed to ratify the Paris Climate Accord, the landmark global pledge to reduce carbon emissions.

“We believe that we need to, with a sense of urgency, address the climate issues for the planet,” said Microsoft's Smith at the summit in Paris. “I think that everybody’s familiar with the current position of the U.S. government. Even if the U.S. government was doing everything that it might, it’s very clear that technology would still be needed. Technology clearly is a fundamental game changer in this space. At a time when we don’t have the active involvement of the U.S. government, I think the relative opportunity and need for technology and technology companies to do more is even greater.”