BENGALURU: About 96% of Indian executives believe that artificial intelligence (AI) can positively impact their sustainability goals. IBM released its State of Sustainability Readiness Report 2024, and according to that, globally, respondents had a positive take on AI’s potential for sustainability as nine out of 10 surveyed executives agree that AI will positively influence achieving their sustainability goals. Most business leaders in India are already leveraging the power of AI, as 64% of Indian companies are actively using AI in their sustainability efforts.
The report also reveals that 98% of Indian business leaders surveyed are planning to increase investment in IT for sustainability over the next one year. The research states that the majority of Indian respondents view investments in IT as vital not only for environmental responsibility but also to drive long-term business resilience (61%) and brand reputation (64%).
“As sustainability becomes central to business growth strategies, AI is proving to be a game-changer in driving responsible growth,” said Sandip Patel, managing director of IBM India/South Asia. “Today, India stands out as a leader in AI-driven sustainability. Business leaders across the country view sustainability as a strategic lever for transformation, and IBM is advancing AI solutions to help accelerate their sustainability goals,” he added.
The report also highlights water usage as one of the top challenges specific to Indian companies.
While 81% of Indian leaders adopt a proactive approach towards Climate Resilience, 54% implement opportunity-driven sustainability investments.
Recommendations
The report provides following key recommendations to business leaders:
Invest in the AI tools that are right for your organisation. For instance, generative AI can provide insights that help identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions and create scenarios and algorithms for more sustainable business practices.
Lean in on data to lessen the perception gap between C-suite and lower-level decision makers as top challenges to sustainability continue to evolve, organisations should collect data from across their business to better understand the difference in perceptions between C-suite and lower-level decision makers. Leveraging data analysis and reporting tools can uncover blind spots and maintain visibility and alignment across the organisation, the report said.