The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has announced a partnership with Microsoft to employ AI and advanced data technology in tracking global carbon emissions, in line with the Paris Agreement. This collaboration will allow the UNFCCC to establish a global climate data hub for analyzing worldwide progress in emission reduction.
Microsoft revealed in a press release that the process of analyzing carbon data has been inefficient due to reliance on manual methods. The new agreement heralds the creation of a digital platform by Microsoft, designed to bolster the UNFCCC's Enhanced Transparency Framework. This platform will facilitate the development of tools for monitoring various sources of carbon emissions, including transportation, agriculture, and industrial processes. Microsoft has pledged $3 million over two years towards constructing this framework and supporting the Paris Agreement.
Simon Stiell, UNFCCC executive secretary, expressed his views on this initiative in the press release. "The Paris Agreement provides the framework for all the world’s nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees," said Stiell. "Climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond borders. It will require technology for adaptation and mitigation. Progress also requires collaboration from trusted partners to develop the tools that the framework requires to be delivered. We are happy to work with Microsoft in this effort."
The UNFCCC further clarified in another press release that the Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, which came into force on Nov. 4, 2016, with 196 parties adopting it. Implementing this agreement necessitates social and economic transformation through a five-year cycle on climate action. To facilitate this process, countries have been submitting Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) since 2020, outlining their plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions towards achieving the common goal of the Paris Agreement.
According to another statement by the UNFCCC, since signing of the Paris Agreement, 25% of emissions have transitioned to zero-carbon solutions. By 2030, over 70% of global emissions could potentially be zero-carbon solutions in competitive sectors. The Paris Agreement has also fostered mutual support among countries, both financially and technologically, as well as through capacity building for developing nations. Financial assistance is provided by developed countries to more vulnerable nations lacking the necessary financial resources to meet their goals.
