Sustainable development

AI-powered workplace innovation: Tech Mahindra partners with Microsoft

Tech Mahindra has partnered with Microsoft to enhance workplace experiences for over 1,200 customers and more than 10,000 employees across 15 locations by adopting Copilot for Microsoft 365. The collaboration aims to boost workforce efficiency and streamline processes through Microsoft’s trusted cloud platform and generative AI capabilities. Additionally, Tech Mahindra will deploy GitHub Copilot for 5,000 developers, anticipating a productivity increase of 35% to 40%.

Mohit Joshi, CEO and Managing Director of Tech Mahindra, highlighted the transformative potential of the partnership, emphasising the company’s commitment to shaping the future of work with cutting-edge AI technology. Tech Mahindra plans to extend Copilot’s capabilities with plugins to leverage multiple data sources, enhancing creativity and productivity. The focus is on increasing efficiency, reducing effort, and improving quality and compliance across the board.

As part of the initiative, Tech Mahindra has launched a dedicated Copilot practice to help customers unlock the full potential of AI tools, including workforce training for assessment and preparation. The company will offer comprehensive solutions to help customers assess, prepare, pilot, and adopt business solutions using Copilot for Microsoft 365, providing a scalable and personalised user experience.

Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Microsoft, remarked that the collaboration would empower Tech Mahindra’s employees with new generative AI capabilities, enhancing workplace experiences and increasing developer productivity. The partnership aligns with Tech Mahindra’s ongoing efforts to enhance workforce productivity using GenAI tools, demonstrated by the recent launch of a unified workbench on Microsoft Fabric to accelerate the adoption of complex data workflows.

Talen defends Amazon agreement against utility claims

Talen Energy has urged US regulators to dismiss a challenge to its recent agreement with Amazon for a data centre, which has faced opposition from electric utilities like American Electric Power and Exelon. These utilities argue that the deal could lead to higher power bills for the public. Talen countered this claim, stating that the interconnection agreement for the Amazon data centre would not result in increased costs for utility customers or impact grid reliability.

In its filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Talen criticised the challenge as an unlawful attempt to derail a straightforward interconnection service agreement amendment. They argued it was being turned into a national debate on the future of data centre energy consumption, which was unwarranted. The decision by FERC on this matter could set a precedent for future deals where data centres are co-located with power plants, enabling quicker power supply without long interconnection delays.

Talen’s agreement, announced in March, involves selling electricity and a data centre campus at its Pennsylvania nuclear power plant to Amazon Web Services. However, this deal would provide Amazon’s data centres with up to 960 megawatts of electric capacity, sufficient to power around a million homes. Utilities like American Electric Power and Exelon have raised concerns that the agreement could impose a $140 million annual cost shift to regular ratepayers and potentially disrupt the grid during unexpected power plant interruptions.

Talen warned that if FERC allowed the challenge to proceed or rejected the agreement, it could stifle data centre expansion and deter the construction of new power plants amidst rising US electricity demand. Conversely, AEP and Exelon argue that the deal, if approved, could unfairly burden everyday ratepayers with costs associated with power infrastructure that doesn’t benefit them. The timing of FERC’s decision on the case remains uncertain.

Why does it matter?

The IATSE’s tentative agreement represents a significant step forward in securing fair wages and job protections for Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes workers, ensuring that the rapid technological advancements do not come at the expense of human employment.

AI integration escalates Google’s energy use

Google’s annual sustainability report reveals a nearly 50% increase in greenhouse gas emissions from 2019 to 2024, primarily due to its data centres and supply chain. The 2024 Environmental Report indicates that Google emitted 14.3 million tons of CO2 equivalent last year, raising concerns about its goal to be net zero by 2030. The company expects emissions to rise further before declining, attributing this trend to the growing energy demands of AI integration and increased investment in technical infrastructure.

Efforts to make data centres more efficient, such as using a new generation of tensor processing units (TPUs), have been offset by the rising energy consumption required for AI. Scope 2 emissions, mainly from data centre electricity use, increased by 37% compared to 2022. The rise outpaced the company’s ability to implement carbon-free energy projects, particularly in the United States and Asia-Pacific region. Differences between Google’s global approach to carbon-free energy and the regional guidelines of the GHG Protocol have also contributed to this mismatch.

Scope 3 emissions, which account for 75% of Google’s overall emissions, rose by 8% year-on-year. These indirect emissions from the supply chain are expected to continue increasing due to capital expenditures and investments in AI-related infrastructure. A single generative AI query consumes nearly ten times the power of a regular Google search, highlighting the significant energy demands of AI technology.

Why does it matter?

Additionally, Google’s data centres consume more than three times the amount of water that Microsoft does to remain cool, underscoring the environmental challenges posed by the tech giant’s operations. The report suggests that while Google is making strides in efficiency, the rapid growth of AI and its associated infrastructure presents significant sustainability challenges.

India mandates USB-C ports for smartphones and tablets to curb e-waste

The Indian government plans to follow the European Union’s lead and make USB-C the standard charging port for smartphones and tablets starting in June 2025. All new smartphones and tablets sold in India must have USB-C charging ports once the policy takes effect. India had previously indicated its intention to introduce similar regulations following the EU’s decision, with the original deadline set for March 2025.

The implementation of the EU law is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Its main goal is to enhance user convenience and decrease electronic waste by eliminating various charger requirements. For instance, Apple has adhered to this regulation by transitioning from its exclusive Lightning connector to USB-C for its iPhone 15 devices.

India has implemented new regulations to simplify charging solutions, minimise electronic waste, and align with global standards, mirroring the legislative actions previously undertaken by the EU. According to a report by Mint, these regulations initially encompass smartphones and tablets, with plans to include laptops by 2026 while excluding basic phones and wearables.

African ministers endorse AI strategy for digital growth

African ICT and Communications Ministers have collectively endorsed the ‘Continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and African Digital Compact’ to accelerate the continent’s digital evolution by harnessing the potential of new digital technologies. The decision came during the 2nd Extraordinary Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and ICT session, attended by over 130 African ministers and experts. The aim is to drive digital transformation amidst rapid advancements fueled by AI technology and applications.

The Continental AI Strategy aims to guide African nations in utilising AI to fulfil development goals while ensuring ethical use, mitigating risks, and capitalising on opportunities. It emphasises an Africa-owned, people-centred, and inclusive approach to enhance the continent’s AI capabilities across infrastructure, talent, datasets, innovation, and partnerships while prioritising safeguards against potential threats.

African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, highlighted AI’s significant opportunities for positive transformation, economic growth, and social progress in Africa. The strategy underscores the importance of AI-enabled systems in fostering homegrown solutions, driving economic growth, and sustainable development, aligning with the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Leaders stressed the need for collective efforts to leverage AI to advance Africa’s digital agenda and achieve long-term developmental objectives.

SewerAI utilises AI to detect sewer pipe issues

Sewage failures exacerbated by climate change and ageing infrastructure are becoming increasingly costly and common across the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly $700 billion is required over the next two decades to maintain existing wastewater and stormwater systems. In response to these challenges, Matthew Rosenthal and Billy Gilmartin, veterans of the wastewater treatment industry, founded SewerAI five years ago. Their goal was to leverage AI to improve the inspection and management of sewer infrastructure.

SewerAI’s AI-driven platform offers cloud-based subscription products tailored for municipalities, utilities, and private contractors. Their tools, such as Pioneer and AutoCode, streamline field inspections and data management by enabling inspectors to upload data and automatically tag issues. That approach enhances efficiency and helps project managers plan and prioritise infrastructure repairs based on accurate 3D models generated from inspection videos.

Unlike traditional methods that rely on outdated on-premise software, SewerAI’s technology increases productivity and reduces costs by facilitating more daily inspections. The company has distinguished itself in the competitive AI-assisted pipe inspection market by leveraging a robust dataset derived from 135 million feet of sewer pipe inspections. This data underpins their AI models, enabling precise defect detection and proactive infrastructure management.

Recently, SewerAI secured $15 million in funding from investors like Innovius Capital, bringing their total raised capital to $25 million. This investment will support SewerAI’s expansion efforts, including AI model refinement, hiring initiatives, and diversification of their product offerings beyond inspection tools. The company anticipates continued growth as it meets rising demand and deploys its technology to empower organisations to achieve more with existing infrastructure budgets.

Senegal unveils strategy for strong digital infrastructure development

Isidore Diouf, the newly appointed Director General of Senegal Numérique SA, has pledged to prioritise the development of robust digital public infrastructure (DPI) as he takes office. Diouf aims to build on the progress made by his predecessor, Cheikh Bakhoum, to realise President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s vision of rapid digital transformation for Senegal. President Faye, who emphasised digital transformation during his campaign, has instructed his government to enhance the country’s digital infrastructure to achieve digital sovereignty.

Diouf’s agenda includes expanding Senegal’s digital economy to increase its contribution to the national GDP from the current 3.3 percent to 10 percent by 2025, as outlined in the Senegal Digital Strategy 2025. He plans to address low internet coverage, which is currently around 46 percent, and improve collaboration among government information systems. Additionally, Diouf will work on finalising the legal framework for personal data protection, digitising government services, and developing a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

As part of its digital transformation initiatives, Senegal Numérique recently partnered with the African Digital Development Agency (ADD) to share best practices and enhance the interoperability of government systems. That partnership aligns with Senegal’s national digital ID program, which was launched in 2022 and is a key component of the Senegal Digital Strategy 2025, which the UNDP supports. The program aims to modernise Senegal’s economy through technology, reinforcing the country’s commitment to becoming a leader in digital innovation in West Africa.

Google teams up with NV Energy to boost geothermal power for Nevada data centres

Google has announced a partnership with NV Energy, a Berkshire Hathaway electric utility, to significantly increase the use of geothermal energy to power its Nevada data centers. The agreement, pending approval from state utility regulators, is a major step in Google’s mission to operate entirely on clean energy by 2030. The deal will enhance Google’s use of carbon-free geothermal electricity from 3.5 megawatts to 115 megawatts within six years. NV Energy will collaborate with Fervo Energy, an advanced geothermal developer, which has been supplying Google with geothermal power since 2021. That partnership includes developing a new rate structure called the Clean Transition Tariff, designed to facilitate similar agreements in other regions.

The deal comes as tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft seek sustainable energy sources to power their growing data centers, which are essential for supporting technologies such as AI and cloud computing. Currently, 64% of Google’s global operations are powered by carbon-free energy, with a focus on wind and solar. However, geothermal energy provides a more reliable alternative, as it is not dependent on weather conditions. The partnership with NV Energy represents a new approach for companies with significant and growing electricity demands to achieve their climate goals within regulated power markets. In these markets, companies must purchase power from the local utility rather than directly from a power generator, complicating efforts to secure entirely clean energy sources. Duke Energy, which operates in regulated states, announced a similar agreement with Google, Microsoft, and Amazon recently.

Geothermal energy, which harnesses naturally occurring underground heat to produce renewable electricity, accounts for about 10% of Nevada’s total electricity generation, the highest proportion of any U.S. state, according to the Energy Information Administration. Google’s collaboration with NV Energy and Fervo Energy demonstrates a strategic move towards more sustainable and reliable energy sources, contributing to the broader effort of reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change.

Why does it matter?

  • Environmental Impact: By significantly increasing its use of geothermal energy, Google is reducing its carbon footprint and advancing its goal of operating on entirely clean energy by 2030.
  • Energy Reliability: Geothermal energy provides a stable and continuous power source, unlike wind and solar, which are weather-dependent.
  • Industry Leadership: The partnership sets a precedent for other companies to follow, promoting innovative approaches to achieving clean energy goals in regulated power markets.
  • Economic Benefits: Developing geothermal energy projects can boost local economies, create jobs, and enhance the energy infrastructure in Nevada.

Simon Institute for Longterm Governance

The Simon Institute for Longterm Governance (SI) is a think tank based in Geneva, Switzerland, working to foster international cooperation on governing transformative technologies.

SI’s current work is focused on frontier AI diplomacy. They conduct research on international AI governance, facilitate exchange between technical and policy communities, and educate diplomats and civil servants about frontier AI’s opportunities, risks, and governance solutions.

SI was originally founded in 2021 to strengthen the multilateral system’s capacity to mitigate global catastrophic risks. In its early years, SI contributed to key intergovernmental processes for reducing global risks, delivered the first UN report on existential risk and rapid technological change, and co-authored a report with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) on Hazards with Escalation Potential. In 2023, SI narrowed its focus to AI governance, recognising AI as one of the most consequential technologies of our time. SI has since supported actors working on the UN’s Global Digital Compact, the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance while hosting capacity-building workshops on AI-related subjects across New York and Geneva.

Digital activities

SI believes in the potential of human ingenuity and technology to create a future where life can thrive. They are optimistic about the ability of emerging technologies like AI to accelerate progress towards the SDGs, address the climate crisis, and boost global development. At the same time, SI is concerned about the risks posed by these technologies, with AI, for instance, already posing challenges like misinformation and bias, and already raising future concerns, including rogue AI systems and a potential loss of human control.

SI aims to help policymakers keep up with the rapid pace of technological change by translating and summarising the latest science on emerging technological risks and opportunities into concrete policy advice. In tandem, SI works with policymakers to influence the creation and evolution of governance structures, improve risk management, and foster input from essential stakeholders, to enhance global technology governance to be more responsive, agile, and inclusive.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

Through their work, SI aims to draw attention to the various opportunities and risks associated with AI, particularly frontier AI systems. SI translates complex technical AI issues into legible language, conducts capacity-building sessions with diplomats, fosters exchange between multilateral actors, the private sector, and civil society, and actively participates in multilateral policy processes concerning AI governance. 

Capacity building

SI has conducted numerous capacity-building sessions on AI, including a three-part AI Governance Briefing Series for Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva, training courses on AI governance for UN Missions in New York in both English and French, live demonstrations of AI capabilities, briefings on specific topics like compute governance and benefit-sharing, institutional negotiation support workshops for the International Scientific Panel and the Global Dialogue on AI, and much more. The organisation also provides tailored talks, training courses, and briefings to interested diplomats and multilateral governance actors on an ad hoc basis.

Policy recommendation

SI actively engages in multilateral policy processes relevant to AI governance. For instance, during the 2022-2023 review period of the Sendai Framework, SI raised awareness about the risks presented by advanced AI systems, speaking at events like the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction and the high-level meeting during the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework, as well as delivering a thematic study on risks posed by emerging technologies, including AI. Throughout 2024, SI closely followed the GDC negotiations—responding to various iterations of the text—and throughout 2025 so far, has been providing recommendations for the design of the Independent International Scientific Panel and the Global Dialogue on AI. Privately, SI also provides individual support to policy actors, tailored to the specific context and subject area in which they operate. 

Research

With strong ties across academia, private labs, and technical research communities, the SI team has a firm grasp of the latest developments in frontier AI. SI’s focus lies in effectively translating these developments into language and advice suitable for policy actors. To date, SI has delivered the first UN report on Existential Risk and Rapid Technological Change, explaining key risks associated with AI systems and potential governance mechanisms, and developed a report on Hazards with Escalation Potential, outlining how AI may soon become a primary driving force behind various hazards. More recently, SI has been conducting in-depth research on institutional design for AI, including a report outlining structural considerations for the Independent International Scientific Panel and the Global Dialogue on AI. 

Emerging technologies 

In today’s interconnected world, the majority of emerging technologies have significant digital elements (e.g. AI, biotechnology, quantum computing). They are also characterised by uncertain development trajectories and unrealised real-world applications. Much of SI’s work is based on the premise that governing such technologies requires long-term thinking, adaptability, and foresight. SI advocates for the effective governance of emerging technologies by translating the latest technical developments into concrete policy advice, providing recommendations on policy design, and offering frameworks to support the adaptable governance of emerging technologies (e.g. SI’s Future-Proofing Framework). 

Additionally, SI hosts workshops at the intersection of foresight, technology governance, and multilateralism. In September 2023, SI collaborated with the UN Futures Lab Network to organise a Foresight Workshop on Frontier Technologies, encouraging actors to reflect on the potential development trajectories of various technologies. In January 2023, SI convened a workshop titled Future-proofing the Multilateral System, inviting actors from academia, civil society, and the multilateral system to discuss ways to integrate forecasting techniques into the SDG process, manage risks associated with technologies like biotechnology and AI, and find ways to use technical standardisation to harmonise global technology governance efforts.

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Data Governance

Ecma International is a global standards development organisation dedicated to the standardisation of information and communication systems. Established in 1961, Ecma has been a pioneer in providing a framework for the collaboration of standardisation and open source. The work is driven by Ecma members to address market requirements, providing a healthy competitive environment where competition is based on the differentiation of products and services and where vendors and users can rely on the interoperability of technical solutions.

Areas of work include the development and publication of standards and technical reports for information and communications technology (ICT) and consumer electronics (CE), with a broad scope of standardisation topics including hardware, software, communications, consumer electronics, the internet of things (IoT), programming languages, media storage, and environmental subjects. Ecma’s pragmatic, flexible, member-driven model is effective in enabling technical committees to form and iterate rapidly on internationally recognised open standards.

Digital activities

For over 60 years, Ecma has actively contributed to worldwide standardisation in information technology and telecommunications. More than 420 Ecma standards and 110 technical reports have been published, covering areas such as data presentation and communication, data interchange and archiving, access systems and interconnection and multimedia, programming languages, and software engineering and interfaces, two-thirds of which have also been adopted as international standards and/or technical reports.

One of the first programming languages developed by Ecma, FORTRAN, was approved in 1965. ECMAScript® (JavaScript), with several billion implementations, is one of the most used standards worldwide.

Digital policy issues

Digital standards

A large part of Ecma’s activity is dedicated to defining standards and technical reports for ICTs (hardware, software, communications, media storage, etc.). This work is carried out through technical committees and task groups focusing on issues such as information storage, multimedia coding and communications, programming languages, open XML formats, and product-related environmental attributes. Our members are committed to Ecma’s success and progress and follow best practices and efficient processes for the development and approval of standards, making Ecma a respected and trusted industry association. Ecma has close working relations – such as liaisons, cooperation agreements, and memberships – with European and international standardisation bodies as well as with some forums and consortia. Our long-established relationships with other standardisation organisations are well maintained and enable us to publish our specifications as international standards. A list of Ecma standards is noted below.

Telecommunications infrastructure

Network security

Sustainable development/Digital and environment

Programming languages such as ECMAScript (JavaScript) and C#

Software engineering and interfaces

Data-related standards

Technical committees (TCs) and task groups (TGs), covering issues such as access systems and information exchange between systems (TC51), information storage (TC31),

product-related environmental attributes (TC38), ECMAScript® language (TC39), office open XML formats (TC45), and ECMAScript® modules for embedded systems (TC53). Additional technical committees include acoustics (TC26), software and system transparency (TC54), web-interoperable server runtimes (TC55), and communication with artificial intelligence (AI) agents (TC56).

In addition, ECMA-425 was published in December 2024, specifying a statistical background correction for information technology and telecommunications equipment noise measurements.

Future of standards

The participation in Ecma of many leading global companies ensures not only the acceptance of Ecma standards in European and international standardisation but also their worldwide implementation.

Ecma’s goal in the next decade is to continue to play a key role in the extraordinary development of IT, telecommunications, and consumer electronics by disseminating new technologies and delivering first-class standards to our members, partners, and the standard-user community. Ecma aims to continue to bring in major contributions, move technology from members to mature standards, and collaborate with the world’s major standards development organisations (SDOs).

In December 2024, Ecma established Technical Committee TC55, tasked with defining, refining, and standardising a ‘minimum common API’ surface, along with a verifiable definition of compliance with that API. This is intended to improve interoperability across multiple ECMAScript environments, expanding beyond web browsers, specifically web servers. In addition, Ecma established TC56, a natural language interaction protocol for communication with AI agents. The scope is to specify a common protocol, framework and interfaces for interactions between AI agents using natural language while supporting multiple modalities.

Digital tools

Conferencing technologies

Ecma maintains a pragmatic approach to meeting participation. Our General Assembly typically takes place as a physical meeting to allow in-person discussions and interaction among members. For members who cannot participate in person, remote attendance is possible with videoconferencing and other digital tools.

Ecma’s technical committees hold either physical, hybrid, or virtual meetings depending on their specific needs.

Ecma meetings are typically held outside of Ecma’s HQ. As a general principle, members are encouraged to host meetings.  Invitations are by a technical committee member who host the meeting at a facility of their choice.

For meetings, consensus building, and voting, Ecma focuses on being efficient and effective. The meeting place and mode are decided upon by the committee.

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