Google announced a platform for tracking the sustainability of the supply chain of companies 
Google has announced a commercial version of the Earth Engine cloud platform. The service provides open source satellite imagery of the Earth and data analysis software to enable large companies to track the sustainability of their supply chain and contribute to the fight against climate change, Bloomberg reports.
A demo version of the platform has become available to private users on Google Cloud. According to Bloomberg, it is already being used by the insurance company Swiss Re and the industrial giant Unilever, which in this way controls 17 million hectares of farms to ensure that palm oil for its products is not obtained from illegal logging of the rainforest.
Google Earth Engine has partnered with non-profit conservation and community organizations for several years free of charge. The collection of the service receives about 20 thousand files every day, among which there are not only satellite images of the area, but also information about the composition of the soil and water vapor. The project's team of scientists, including professional geologists and hydrologists, is processing datasets and creating interactive maps of changes in nature that help find problem areas and save the planet. The information collected allows environmental organizations to track deforestation, the state of water resources and habitats of endangered species in almost real time.
“We want to accelerate the implementation of innovations that we have seen in the scientific community and NGOs, and make them the property public and private sector users, ”said Rebecca Moore, Director and Founding Engineer of Google Earth Engine. The vice president of satellite technology company Umbra Joe Morrison, who hosts an industry newsletter, called Earth Engine the most important contribution to climate science in 50 years.
Google is developing other projects to conserve the environment and counteract the global warming. Cloud helps businesses track and reduce carbon emissions, while Google Maps guides drivers on the lowest carbon routes for drivers.