The AI Imperative in Sustainability
To meet the ambitious global sustainability goals ahead, we must embrace tools that amplify human capacity. Chief among them is artificial intelligence (AI)—a technology poised to be as transformative as the steam engine or the internet. For sustainability professionals, the message is clear: we must positions ourselves to help these tools advance the benefits of sustainable innovation.
The Scale of the Challenge Demands New Thinking
Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will require rapid, system-wide change. Specifically, we must:
Triple the deployment of carbon-free energy,
Double the pace of energy efficiency improvements,
Reverse biodiversity loss.
Traditional methods alone will not get us there in time. Sustainability challenges operate at a scale, complexity, and urgency that demand more than human effort—they require technological amplification. AI represents the most powerful tool currently available to meet this moment.
AI as a General Purpose Technology
Like electricity or the internet, AI is a “general purpose technology” that’s beginning to reshape how the world works. For sustainability professionals, this presents a critical opportunity—and an obligation—to evolve.
AI’s potential benefits extend across industries and functions:
Increased Competitiveness: Organizations globally are embedding AI into operations, product development, and strategic planning. Sustainability teams that fail to keep pace risk being sidelined.
Immediate Necessity: The problems we face—climate volatility, supply chain disruptions, resource scarcity—are too complex and too dynamic for conventional tools alone.
Greater Productivity: By automating routine analysis and optimizing systems, AI may free sustainability professionals to focus more on strategy, influence, and innovation.
As the technology continues to advance, AI can improve our ability to predict outcomes, optimize systems, and accelerate sustainable solution deployment—all fundamental enhancements that are important in these times.
What Happens If We Don’t Engage?
Ignoring AI or only focusing on the challenges is not a neutral act—it carries real risks:
Exclusion from Budget Conversations: If AI is shaping strategic decisions and sustainability teams aren't fluent in its use, they may be cut out of the conversation.
Lagging Performance: Competing priorities that are using AI may move faster, be more efficient, and generate greater impact.
Missed Innovation Opportunities: AI can uncover insights, pathways and methods that are challenging for traditional methods that are dearly needed for innovation in the sustainability space.
Loss of Influence: If sustainability isn’t shaping how AI is applied, its priorities may be ignored altogether. As the saying goes, “If you’re not at the table, you might be on the menu.”
At Work in Sustainability
AI is already delivering measurable results in sustainability across sectors:
Energy Optimization: Schneider Electric reduced energy use in its factories by 30% using AI. Its EcoStruxure platform helped Budweiser improve filtration efficiency by 15% in China.
Smarter Supply Chains: Unilever integrates AI with weather and sales data to improve demand forecasting. In Sweden, this enhanced seasonal product forecasts—like ice cream—by 10%.
Predictive Maintenance: Siemens used AI to reduce machine downtime by 50%, boost productivity by 20%, and cut maintenance costs by 40%, with ROI achieved in as little as three months.
Precision Agriculture: John Deere’s AI-powered “see and spray” systems reduced herbicide use by up to 59%, improving yields and protecting soil health.
Reducing Food Waste: Wasteless uses machine learning to dynamically price perishable goods, cutting food waste by over 80% in retailers like Carrefour.
Greener Data Centers: Google, with DeepMind, reduced cooling energy use by 40%, translating to a 15% cut in total energy use.
Circular Economy: AMP Robotics uses AI to sort recyclables at 80+ picks per minute, significantly improving recycling rates and reducing landfill waste.
These are not experiments—they are proven, scalable solutions combining business performance and value creation executed through sustainable innovation methods and resulting sustainability outcomes.
Getting Started: A Playbook for Sustainability Professionals
You don’t need to be a data scientist to begin your AI journey. Start with intent, focus, and collaboration:
Identify a Challenge: What part of your work could benefit from better prediction, faster insight, or smarter automation?
Start Simple: Experiment with no-code or low-code AI tools. Many platforms offer intuitive interfaces to prototype solutions.
Pilot One Workflow: Choose a repeatable task—reporting, scenario analysis, stakeholder engagement—and try improving it with AI.
Build AI Literacy: Spreadsheet skills were once optional. Today, AI literacy is rapidly becoming a new competency for impactful professionals.
Co-Create Solutions: Work with data teams, IT, and operations to develop tools that work in real-world settings.
Measure What Matters: Track not just time saved, but improvements in outcomes through understanding quality, speed, inclusion, and transparency—and other metrics important to sustainability & business.
Stewardship and Strategy Go Hand in Hand
The power of AI comes with real concerns—bias, accountability, and energy intensity among them. But those concerns do not negate its promise. In fact, they make it even more important that sustainability professionals engage early and often.
By shaping how AI is applied, advocating for governance frameworks that align with planetary boundaries, and advancing ethical, inclusive practices, sustainability leaders can ensure these tools serve the greater good.
With each passing day, it’s becoming more and more likely that AI is not a passing trend—it is a major shift in how the working world operates. For sustainability professionals, the imperative is clear: engage with AI to enhance your impact, future-proof your practice, and help ensure these technologies advance business and sustainability goals together. The clock is ticking—and we need every tool we’ve got.
Ready for Now, Ready for the Future
Tackling the challenges of today and creating the opportunities for tomorrow requires embracing the latest technology to amplify your sustainable innovation program. Partner with us to see how AI can advance opportunities in a rapidly changing business landscape.
