Rob Bernard will take your questions now.

Or, if you prefer, after he delivers his much-anticipated program next week at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Bernard, an islander who has lived here for six years, is the chief environmental strategist at Microsoft.

Called a “thought leader on corporate energy strategy” by the Harvard Business Review, Bernard is the software giant’s go-to man for implementing the global strategy for Microsoft’s environmental efforts.

His upcoming talk is called “Using Information to Save the Planet,” and will focus on how information technology will transform the way we approach environmental challenges around the globe in the next five years.

The free event, sponsored by the Bainbridge Citizens Climate Lobby, is 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13 in the auditorium at BIMA. The Bainbridge Island Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a nonprofit, non-partisan grassroots organization that’s working to build the political will to respond to climate change.

Bernard’s presentation focuses his lofty and far-reaching query: “How do we empower every person and every organization on the planet to leverage technology to create a sustainable planet?”

Bernard has been with Microsoft for almost 20 years, and his role at the company is a bit different than when he started there two decades ago.

“About 10 years ago the company really felt it was a great opportunity for us to take a step back and decide what is the company’s strategy on sustainability,” he recalled.

Enter Bernard.

And at his upcoming talk, he said, he’ll pull out some examples from the work he’s done in recent years for Microsoft and other companies.

Organizers of the event note that under Bernard’s guidance, Microsoft has committed to becoming carbon neutral.

The company has also set renewable energy goals and rolled out a campaign to engage with customers, partners and governments to use technology to reduce environmental impacts.

A much-in-demand speaker, Bernard has spoken to audiences and governments around the globe on technology and sustainability, and has also been a speaker at the United Nations COP15 Climate Change Conference.

The evening at BIMA will also include a question-and-answer session — with a twist.

“I’m excited to spend time not just talking about what Microsoft is doing, but to make sure people have plenty of time to ask questions,” he said.

Bernard, in a conversation with the Review, offered to take questions in advance and use those during his presentation.

Islanders who have questions about his theme of using technology to drive the way the planet’s resources are used are welcome to send questions to editor@bainbridgereview.com, and they will be forwarded to Bernard in advance of his Bainbridge appearance next week.

“I’ll take those questions and put them into my talk,” he said.