- Discussing how data centers are essential to the growth of our digital economy and allow us to access and store the information that runs our societies, yet they have the same carbon footprint as the aviation industry and are predicted to comprise 31% of the world’s global electricity supply by 2027
- Offering strategies to meet the needs of our digital-first, increasingly connected world and sustainable solutions to grow data centers while generating positive impacts for the communities in which they exist
- Highlighting how the trailblazer Google has teamed up with Deloitte to design the first-of-its-kind report on the holistic impact of Google data centers across economic, environmental, and social dimensions
- Exploring the unprecedented attempt to create more transparency and holistic impact for the communities in which data centers operates
Abby O’Reilly
Purpose and ESG Strategy
Deloitte Consulting
Abby believes in the imperative for business to drive sustainable and equitable outcomes. As a leader in Deloitte’s Sustainability Strategy and Transformation practice, she partners with executives to drive this change. For over a decade, she has supported clients through developing, implementing, and measuring strategies that enable greater environmental, social, and economic impact. Her work in technology and media, as well as across industries, allows her to blend industry experience with sustainable innovation broadly.
Abby frequently speaks on sustainability, bringing together organizations and individuals to catalyze progress, including the Deloitte Chief Sustainability Officer network. She’s an alum of the University of Virginia, UC Berkeley and the Center for Responsible Business, and the Aspen Institute.
Ghada Ahmed
Research and Impact Thought Lead
Google
Ghada Ahmed is the founder of Insurgent Business Analytics and is a senior fellow at Duke University. Her work focuses on transformative initiatives that uncover the intricate connections between businesses, policies, and communities, and their far-reaching impacts on economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Previously, she served as the lead socio-economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Bank focusing on sustainable economic development strategies. Additionally, as a senior researcher at Duke University, she pioneered frameworks on clean technology, food, and energy security. She is a recognized author with over 30 reports, book chapters, articles, and journal publications. Notably, she led the development of Google’s groundbreaking impact studies, which explore the wide-ranging effects of data centers on society, the economy, and the environment. Ms. Ahmed holds a Master’s Degree in International Development Policy from Duke University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Computer Science from the American University in Cairo.
