The Future Is Green – And It’s Happening Faster Than You Think
We’re living through the biggest technology transformation since the dawn of the internet—and it’s being driven by sustainability. Surprising fact: Renewable energy is now the cheapest source of new power generation in over two-thirds of the world. https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2023. In fact, global clean energy investment hit $1.8 trillion in 2023, outpacing fossil fuels for the first time in history. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-investment-renewable-energy-2023. Building the Future Together — And It’s Greener Than Ever 1. A Turning Point in History The world is experiencing one of the most significant technological transformations since the dawn of the internet. This shift—driven by sustainability—is not a distant aspiration but a rapidly accelerating reality. In 2023, global spending on renewable energy surpassed investment in fossil fuels for the first time. Clean energy is now cheaper than coal or gas in most regions, signaling a new era of economic and environmental alignment. 2. Innovation Driving the Green Revolution Breakthroughs are reshaping how industries produce, store, and consume energy: AI-Powered Energy Grids — Intelligent systems reduce waste by up to 30% while ensuring stability across national power networks. Circular Hardware Design — Devices are designed for repairability, reuse, and material recovery, redefining “end of life” as “start of next life.” Cloud as a Sustainability Engine — Cloud-based platforms simulate and optimize resource use, enabling smarter, leaner operations. 3. Microsoft’s Climate Commitments As a leader in corporate sustainability, Microsoft has pledged to: Become carbon negative by 2030. Remove all historical carbon emissions by 2050. These targets reflect the company’s belief that profitability and environmental stewardship are inseparable in the 21st century. 4. A Collective Opportunity Experts agree that this movement is bigger than any one organization. Scientists, engineers, policymakers, and everyday citizens each have a role in building a greener, more resilient world. The focus is not just on technological capability, but also on fostering a mindset where progress and responsibility go hand in hand. 5. The Road Ahead The path to a sustainable future will be shaped by: Shared Innovation — Ideas exchanged across borders and industries. Challenging Conventions — Rethinking what’s possible in energy, manufacturing, and urban development. Bold Experimentation — Pilots, prototypes, and proof-of-concept projects that scale globally. 6. Call to Action The message is clear: the future is coming quickly, and its shape depends on today’s actions. As one sustainability advocate put it: “The future is coming fast—and it’s ours to shape.” Now is the time to share ideas, inspire collaboration, and turn ambition into measurable impact. Somewhere, someone is working on the missing piece of the puzzle—your idea might be what makes it whole. 💬 Drop your thoughts below. Together, we can turn ambition into action.September Calendar IS HERE!
🚀✨ Another month, another exciting calendar from the Microsoft Hero ✨🚀 From 🌍 different time zones, and 🌟 diverse topics, we’re bringing incredible sessions designed for everyone, whether you’re just starting your journey or already an expert in Microsoft and the cloud. This month, we’ve packed the calendar with amazing speakers from across the globe 🌐 who will be sharing their invaluable knowledge and real-world experiences. 🙌 💡 Join our live sessions, learn from inspiring experts, and take a step closer to transforming your career, boosting your skills, and making an impact in your organization. ⏰ Just like last month, we’re covering multiple time zones, from Australia 🇦🇺, to Europe 🇪🇺, to the Americas 🌎, so no matter where you are, there’s a session waiting for you! 👉 Don’t miss out, register today, get ready, and let’s grow together from Zero to Hero! 💪🚀 Santhoshkumar Anandakrishnan https://streamyard.com/watch/3CCPGbvGeEfZ?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 September 4, 2025 11:00 AM CET September 4, 2025 07:00 PM AEST Arafat Tehsin https://streamyard.com/watch/Nyq7gkQEhXkm?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 September 9, 2025 11:00 AM CET September 9, 2025 07:00 PM AEST Kim Berg https://streamyard.com/watch/6AyAT6PhD9xv?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 September 13, 2025 06:00 PM CET Andrew O'Young https://streamyard.com/watch/qTvq25R7dfmu?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 September 16, 2025 11:00 AM CET September 16, 2025 07:00 PM AEST Pam DeGraffenreid https://streamyard.com/watch/UmwbDn9Gimn8?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 September 20, 2025 06:00 PM CET Anthony Porter https://streamyard.com/watch/8SFHqmDB3gxH?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 September 29, 2025 09:00 AM CET September 29, 2025 05:00 PM AEST🌟 Community Spotlight – Nicola Delfino
In this edition of Community Spotlight, we're highlighting some outstanding contributions from the Microsoft communities. This time, we’re featuring https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoladelfino/, Senior Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft. Getting hands-on with Azure networking can be difficult - the network may not behave in the way you anticipate! Nicola has created and been maintaining a Hub and Spoke playground repository. https://github.com/nicolgit/hub-and-spoke-playground over the past few years. The Hub and Spoke playground is a well-documented, easy-to-deploy network topology for testing, studying, and inventing network configurations. https://github.com/nicolgit/hub-and-spoke-playground A collection of BICEP/ARM templates that deploys on Azure a hub & spoke net topology aligned with Microsoft Enterprise scale landing zone ref architecture to use as a playground for testing and studying. As bonus, many scenarios with step-by-step solutions for studying and learning are also available If you need to learn, get hands-on and see potential relevant architecture patterns when it comes to Azure networking, this repository is worth a look!Deploy Open Web UI on Azure VM via Docker: A Step-by-Step Guide with Custom Domain Setup.
Introductions Open Web UI (often referred to as "Ollama Web UI" in the context of LLM frameworks like Ollama) is an open-source, self-hostable interface designed to simplify interactions with large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4, Llama 3, Mistral, and others. It provides a user-friendly, browser-based environment for deploying, managing, and experimenting with AI models, making advanced language model capabilities accessible to developers, researchers, and enthusiasts without requiring deep technical expertise. This article will delve into the step-by-step configurations on hosting OpenWeb UI on Azure. Requirements: Azure Portal Account - For students you can claim $USD100 Azure Cloud credits from this URL. Azure Virtual Machine - with a Linux of any distributions installed. Domain Name and Domain Host Caddy Open WebUI Image Step One: Deploy a Linux – Ubuntu VM from Azure Portal Search and Click on “Virtual Machine” on the Azure portal search bar and create a new VM by clicking on the “+ Create” button > “Azure Virtual Machine”. Fill out the form and select any Linux Distribution image – In this demo, we will deploy Open WebUI on Ubuntu Pro 24.04. Click “Review + Create” > “Create” to create the Virtual Machine. Tips: If you plan to locally download and host open source AI models via Open on your VM, you could save time by increasing the size of the OS disk / attach a large disk to the VM. You may also need a higher performance VM specification since large resources are needed to run the Large Language Model (LLM) locally. Once the VM has been successfully created, click on the “Go to resource” button. You will be redirected to the VM’s overview page. Jot down the public IP Address and access the VM using the ssh credentials you have setup just now. Step Two: Deploy the Open WebUI on the VM via Docker Once you are logged into the VM via SSH, run the Docker Command below: docker run -d --name open-webui --network=host --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -e PORT=8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:dev This Docker command will download the Open WebUI Image into the VM and will listen for Open Web UI traffic on port 8080. Wait for a few minutes and the Web UI should be up and running. If you had setup an inbound Network Security Group on Azure to allow port 8080 on your VM from the public Internet, you can access them by typing into the browser: [PUBLIC_IP_ADDRESS]:8080 Step Three: Setup custom domain using Caddy Now, we can setup a reverse proxy to map a custom domain to [PUBLIC_IP_ADDRESS]:8080 using Caddy. The reason why Caddy is useful here is because they provide automated HTTPS solutions – you don’t have to worry about expiring SSL certificate anymore, and it’s free! You must download all Caddy’s dependencies and set up the requirements to install it using this command: sudo apt install -y debian-keyring debian-archive-keyring apt-transport-https curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key' | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/debian.deb.txt' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy-stable.list sudo apt update && sudo apt install caddy Once Caddy is installed, edit Caddy’s configuration file at: /etc/caddy/Caddyfile , delete everything else in the file and add the following lines: yourdomainname.com { reverse_proxy localhost:8080 } Restart Caddy using this command: sudo systemctl restart caddy Next, create an A record on your DNS Host and point them to the public IP of the server. Step Four: Update the Network Security Group (NSG) To allow public access into the VM via HTTPS, you need to ensure the NSG/Firewall of the VM allow for port 80 and 443. Let’s add these rules into Azure by heading to the VM resources page you created for Open WebUI. Under the “Networking” Section > “Network Settings” > “+ Create port rule” > “Inbound port rule” On the “Destination port ranges” field, type in 443 and Click “Add”. Repeat these steps with port 80. Additionally, to enhance security, you should avoid external users from directly interacting with Open Web UI’s port - port 8080. You should add an inbound deny rule to that port. With that, you should be able to access the Open Web UI from the domain name you setup earlier. Conclusion And just like that, you’ve turned a blank Azure VM into a sleek, secure home for your Open Web UI, no magic required! By combining Docker’s simplicity with Caddy’s “set it and forget it” HTTPS magic, you’ve not only made your app accessible via a custom domain but also locked down security by closing off risky ports and keeping traffic encrypted. Azure’s cloud muscle handles the heavy lifting, while you get to enjoy the perks of a pro setup without the headache. If you are interested in using AI models deployed on Azure AI Foundry on OpenWeb UI via API, kindly read my other article: Step-by-step: Integrate Ollama Web UI to use Azure Open AI API with LiteLLM ProxyCarbon Negative by 2030: Microsoft’s Bold Commitment and Progress
In an era when climate change poses an existential threat, Microsoft has set a pioneering example with its ambitious goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030. This commitment underscores the company’s dedication to sustainability and sets a benchmark for the tech industry. Let’s delve into the key milestones, the impact on the tech sector, and why this initiative is a game-changer. The Bold Commitment In January 2020, Microsoft announced its plan to be carbon-negative by 2030. This means the company aims to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. By 2050, Microsoft also pledges to remove all the carbon it has emitted since its founding in 1975. This bold commitment is part of a broader sustainability strategy that includes reducing carbon emissions, investing in renewable energy, and innovating in carbon removal technologies. Key Milestones and Progress https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=68be6341e4672ef3245a5e0fad4ecb0f7faf7ee186d5616d2ece8e05da116944JmltdHM9MTczNDM5MzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0a22f8c1-6c7b-681e-0086-ed856d0669c6&psq=Carbon+Fee+Implementation%3a+Microsoft+has+implemented+an+internal+carbon+fee+since+2012&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9ibG9ncy5taWNyb3NvZnQuY29tL2dyZWVuLzIwMTUvMDQvMTYvbWljcm9zb2Z0cy1jYXJib24tZmVlLTMteWVhcnMtbGF0ZXIvIzp-OnRleHQ9QmFjayUyMGluJTIwSnVseSUyMG9mJTIwMjAxMiUyQyUyMHdlJTIwbWFkZSUyMGEsY29zdCUyMG9mJTIwcmVkdWNpbmclMjBhbmQlMjBvZmZzZXR0aW5nJTIwb3VyJTIwY2FyYm9uJTIwZW1pc3Npb25zLg&ntb=1: Microsoft has implemented an internal carbon fee since 2012, which is instrumental in driving sustainability initiatives across the company. This fee is charged to business units based on their carbon emissions, incentivizing them to reduce their carbon footprint. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=e28100474654b88287793c18784ea0a7dab416e62199c406c4e3f84135f359c3JmltdHM9MTczNDM5MzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0a22f8c1-6c7b-681e-0086-ed856d0669c6&psq=Renewable+Energy+Investments%3a+By+2025%2c+Microsoft+aims+to+power+its+data+centers+and+operations+with+100%25+renewable+energy.+As+of+2023%2c+the+company+has+already+achieved+70%25+renewable+energy+usage.&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9ibG9ncy5taWNyb3NvZnQuY29tL29uLXRoZS1pc3N1ZXMvMjAyNC8wNS8xNS9taWNyb3NvZnQtZW52aXJvbm1lbnRhbC1zdXN0YWluYWJpbGl0eS1yZXBvcnQtMjAyNC8&ntb=1: By 2025, Microsoft aims to power its data centers and operations with 100% renewable energy. As of 2023, the company has already achieved 70% renewable energy usage. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=6202bd919597a933ac97a0a337033233a017cd9c96facc58955ae5264f86c5cfJmltdHM9MTczNDM5MzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0a22f8c1-6c7b-681e-0086-ed856d0669c6&psq=Carbon+Removal+Technologies%3a+Microsoft+invests+in+innovative+carbon+removal+technologies&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWljcm9zb2Z0LmNvbS9lbi11cy9jb3Jwb3JhdGUtcmVzcG9uc2liaWxpdHkvc3VzdGFpbmFiaWxpdHkvY2FyYm9uLXJlbW92YWwtcHJvZ3JhbT9tc29ja2lkPTBhMjJmOGMxNmM3YjY4MWUwMDg2ZWQ4NTZkMDY2OWM2&ntb=1: Microsoft invests in innovative carbon removal technologies, such as direct air capture and reforestation projects. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5f8fc9d61d0c73244039ba28f85103c5fe668fb7f58b4d81bef6f4ff23071ccbJmltdHM9MTczNDM5MzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0a22f8c1-6c7b-681e-0086-ed856d0669c6&psq=Carbon+Removal+Technologies%3a+Microsoft+invests+in+innovative+carbon+removal+technologies&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9maW5hbmNlLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9uZXdzL21pY3Jvc29mdC1pbnZlc3QtMS1iaWxsaW9uLWNhcmJvbi0xNzMwNDQ0NjAuaHRtbCM6fjp0ZXh0PSUyOEJsb29tYmVyZyUyOSUyMC0tJTIwTWljcm9zb2Z0JTIwQ29ycC4lMjB1bnZlaWxlZCUyMHBsYW5zJTIwdG8lMjBpbnZlc3QsY2FyYm9uJTIwYXJlbiVFMiU4MCU5OXQlMjBlbm91Z2glMjB0byUyMHByZXZlbnQlMjBjYXRhc3Ryb3BoaWMlMjBjbGltYXRlJTIwY2hhbmdlLg&ntb=1 to its Climate Innovation Fund to accelerate the development of these technologies. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5752901e0b84db82e45218b05b052f042107ecb5f1d7cdab3324a8201385ad31JmltdHM9MTczNDM5MzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0a22f8c1-6c7b-681e-0086-ed856d0669c6&psq=Sustainable+Data+Centers%3a+Microsoft%e2%80%99s+data+centers+are+becoming+more+energy-efficient+and+sustainable&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWljcm9zb2Z0LmNvbS9lbi11cy9taWNyb3NvZnQtY2xvdWQvYmxvZy8yMDI0LzA3LzI1L3N1c3RhaW5hYmxlLWJ5LWRlc2lnbi10cmFuc2Zvcm1pbmctZGF0YWNlbnRlci13YXRlci1lZmZpY2llbmN5Lz9tc29ja2lkPTBhMjJmOGMxNmM3YjY4MWUwMDg2ZWQ4NTZkMDY2OWM2&ntb=1: Microsoft’s data centers are becoming more energy-efficient and sustainable. The company is exploring using hydrogen fuel cells and other green technologies to power its data centers. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=22a2e430da0315cce80a471ffce2c5cf382341a16993a8878c072a415f055182JmltdHM9MTczNDM5MzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0a22f8c1-6c7b-681e-0086-ed856d0669c6&psq=Transparency+and+Accountability%3a+Microsoft+publishes+an+annual+Environmental+Sustainability&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj01QlEyUkU5a3F2QQ&ntb=1: Microsoft publishes an annual Environmental Sustainability Report detailing its progress and challenges. This transparency ensures accountability and encourages other companies to follow suit. Impact on the Tech Industry Microsoft’s commitment to becoming carbon-negative has far-reaching implications for the tech industry. It sets a precedent for other tech giants to adopt similar sustainability goals. The company’s investments in renewable energy and carbon removal technologies drive innovation and make these solutions more accessible and affordable for other businesses. Moreover, Microsoft’s sustainability initiatives are influencing its supply chain and partners. By requiring suppliers to report their carbon emissions and set reduction targets, Microsoft fosters a culture of sustainability throughout the tech ecosystem. Inspiring a Sustainable Future Microsoft’s journey towards becoming carbon-negative is not just about reducing its carbon footprint. It’s about inspiring a global movement towards sustainability. The company’s initiatives demonstrate that achieving economic growth while prioritizing the planet is possible. By adopting sustainable practices, businesses can contribute to a healthier environment and a more resilient economy. As a Microsoft partner in sustainability, myHerb is proud to support and promote these initiatives. Together, we can drive meaningful change and inspire others to join the fight against climate change. Let’s embrace sustainability and work towards a greener, more sustainable future. Here are some valuable resources on sustainability, technology, and business: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2023/08/25/20-tech-focused-business-practices-that-promote-better-sustainability/: Offers insights on tech-focused business practices that promote sustainability, such as moving to the cloud, adopting extended producer responsibility, and establishing refurbish and repair programs. https://www.sustainablebusinesstoolkit.com/sustainable-technology/: Provides a comprehensive guide on integrating sustainable technologies to reduce environmental impacts, improve efficiency, and ensure a sustainable future for businesses. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/how-technology-helps-sustainability-initiatives: Explores how technology helps sustainability initiatives succeed and why management teams should utilize digital thinking to meet their goals.London Reactor Meetup December 2024
Hey everyone! Thanks for joining the London Reactor Meetup today. Here you can find the resources that have been shared during the meetup and the speakers contact details. Resources Ignite 2024 Book of News AI at Ignite 2024 GitHub repository Azure AI Foundry Azure OpenAI Docs GitHub Copilot Code Review Waitlist! Upcoming You can find all upcoming Reactor events HERE Speaker contact and resources: Tim Rogers, Staff Product Manager @ GitHub LinkedIn Michael Man, Founder @ AI Security Collective LinkedIn Chris Noring. Senior Cloud Advocate @ Microsoft LinkedIn Liam Hampton, Senior Cloud Advocate @ Microsoft LinkedInLondon Reactor Founders Breakfast Club - April 2024
Hey Everyone! Thanks for joining our first Founders Breakfast Club, dedicated to Microsoft for Startup members! We hope you enjoyed the event and found it useful networking amongst like minded individuals. This is a new event we are running and we want YOUR help to shape it! Let us know what you think using this form - https://forms.office.com/r/Psp8776u8t Below you can find the resources shared throughout the event and the contact information of the speakers. Up Next: Microsoft Build 2024 Resources: Want to attend events? Visit our Reactor Website: https://aka.ms/ReactorWeb Join our community Meetup group: https://aka.ms/ReactorLDNmeetup Watch all of our Live and On-Demand content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MicrosoftReactor Speaker contacts: Microsoft for Startups Anne-Claire Lo Bianco Microsoft Reactor Rav Khokhar - Program Manager HSBC Innovation Banking Kofi Siaw Expert Network Liam Hampton - Senior Cloud Advocate & Software Engineer Chris Noring - Senior Cloud Advocate & Software Engineer
Azure VMware Solution with vWAN Routing Intent and Palo Alto Cloud NGFW
In this article, you will learn how Virtual WAN with Routing Intent works with the Palo Alto SaaS firewall to connect and route traffic between different networks. You will see how this applies to an Azure VMware Solution private cloud, on-premises sites, and Azure native networks. This article does not cover how to set up or configure Virtual WAN with Routing Intent and Palo Alto SaaS.London Reactor Meetup | AI Edition September 2023
Hey Everyone! Thanks for joining the meetup. Here you can find the resources that have been shared during the meetup and the speakers contact details. Register for our next Event! AI Lightning Talks Resources: Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Benefits Get started with GitHub Copilot and Python Microsoft Fabric Semantic Kernel Responsible AI Other Relatable resources: GitHub Tools (Codespaces, Copilot etc) Microsoft Reactor Events Microsoft Reactor Meetup Contact the speakers: Liam Hampton, Senior Cloud Advocate @ Microsoft Twitter (X) LinkedIn Amy Boyd, Principal Cloud Advocate @ Microsoft LinkedIn Nikhil Sehgal, AI Engineer & CEO/Founder of Vastmindz LinkedIn VastMindz Nikhil's Slides
