135 PUB L I C S E C TOR climate change, this sort of environmental sustainability project often goes under the radar but it has a big impact on peoples’ day-to-day lives.” While consumers may demand more from the brands and organisations they engage with, Goldberg believes that it is important to understand that there are differences between public sector organisations and enterprises. “Public sector organisations have anobligation to protect life and property in the face of climate-related disasters and damage,” he explains, adding that those working in the sector have three main tasks: predict climate change impacts, prepare for them, and respond when they occur. “Although the impacts are now severe enough that many private sector businesses are thinking about how to deal with these questions as it applies to them, the ultimate responsibility to proactively protect life and property for all constituents lies with governments and adds another level of commitment,” he adds. There are also similarities between the way public and private sectors are approaching sustainability. For example, many organisations in both are now prioritising how to operate in greener and more energy-efficient ways. “Operating a more fuel-efficient or electric fleet of vehicles is a concern for both the public sector, which is now limiting the manufacture of non-electric vehicles, and the enterprises who manage such fleets, which have to align with these new policies,” says Goldberg. “ One major challenge for both sectors to address are the discrepancies in standards to demonstrate environmental compliance. “Organisations don’t just have to actively pursue and implement greener ways of working, but they need to be able to prove it according to official metrics and standards,” explains Goldberg. “When I worked in the public sector, I had to be constantly vigilant to ensure compliance standards were met and clearly communicated, so this stands out to me as something that anyone working with governments needs to keep near the top of their priority list.” To support public and private sector organisations to achieve these shared goals, Microsoft announced the launch of the Cloud for Sustainability at COP26 in 2021. “One of the biggest challenges that both sectors are dealing with right now is how to account for their total greenhouse gas emissions,” says Goldberg. Disaster Tech provides decision support technologies for situational awareness, operational coordination and planning before, during and after disasters
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