Facebook vows to run operations with 100% renewable energy by 2020
San Francisco, Aug 29 : Aiming to make its energy-guzzling data centres environment friendly, Facebook has pledged it would power its global operations with 100 per cent renewable energy by the end of 2020.
The social networking giant also said it was committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent in the same time frame.
"In a record-breaking year of corporate renewable energy purchases, Facebook is on track to be one of the largest corporate purchasers of renewable energy. Facebook has signed contracts for over three gigawatts of new solar and wind energy, that includes over 2,500 megawatts in just the past 12 months," the company wrote in a blog post late on Tuesday.
Notably, tech titans such as Facebook, Google and Amazon consume extraordinary quantities of electricity to power their global networks of data centres and infrastructure across the globe.
In 2015, the company had set a goal of supporting 50 per cent of its facilities with renewable energy by the end of 2018. "We have achieved that goal a year early, by reaching 51 per cent clean and renewable energy in 2017," the company added.
Last year, the company pledged its support for climate action by supporting the Paris Agreement through the "We Are Still In Initiative".
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Karnataka leads in AI: Minister Priyank Kharge at Impact Summit
Bengaluru (PTI): Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday highlighted the state’s leadership in AI and deep technology while engaging with global industry leaders and startups at a four-day summit held in New Delhi, officials said.
During the event, Priyank witnessed the signing of a strategic MoU between H Company and St John’s Medical College & Research Institute, Bengaluru, to pilot advanced enterprise AI for hospital operations and workflow automation, strengthening responsible AI in healthcare, the minister’s office said in a statement here.
Speaking on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit, the minister said Karnataka is ahead of the curve in AI.
“We are already home to leading global AI players such as Harvey AI and Anthropic, and The Walt Disney Company is expanding its AI network in Bengaluru,” he added.
Noting Bengaluru’s position among the top global cities for AI talent, he added, “Under our DeepTech Decade, we are supporting startups with grants of up to Rs 1 crore. We are engaging with global leaders and innovators to ensure responsible AI use, build the right skill sets, create strong incubators, and establish Centres of Excellence that can foster startups and strengthen e-governance.”
The minister also attended a roundtable organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC), where discussions focused on strengthening technology collaboration, investment partnerships, and innovation-led growth between Karnataka and global enterprises.
He met Timo Harakka, Member of Parliament of Finland, to explore possibilities for collaboration between Karnataka and Finland in AI and deep-tech sectors, including joint research, innovation partnerships, and startup exchanges.
The Karnataka IT Minister also visited the Indian Army showcase at the summit, which featured advanced AI-driven defence and strategic technology applications, highlighting the role of AI in national security and modernisation efforts.
He toured the Karnataka Pavilion and the ArtPark Pavilion, interacting with founders and teams from Karnataka’s innovation ecosystem and reviewing emerging AI and deep-tech solutions, the statement added.
