The tech giant Microsoft has announced a new sustainability initiative that is expected to address the issues of biodiversity, and ecosystem protection and preservation worldwide. The decision was announced by Microsoft President Brad Smith and is a response to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Among other things, as part of the initiative Microsoft intends to develop a 'planetary computer' that will aggregate data collected in the water, sky and space, and which will in turn provide information on tree density, forecast water availability, and allow for better use of satellite imagery.