Data and AI are becoming powerful catalysts
for driving action and predicting future risks
NEW
YORK, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), the world's largest IT infrastructure
services provider, released the second Global Sustainability
Barometer study, commissioned by Microsoft. The study,
conducted by Ecosystm, shows that while 84% of organizations place
a high strategic importance on achieving sustainability goals, only
21% use technology to reduce their environmental footprint and
shape their overall sustainability strategy.
Since last year, 38% of organizations have increased their
sustainability goals and program execution – demonstrating progress
as the world works toward a green future.
"As the world faces increasing climate-related challenges,
businesses are under pressure to act decisively and place
sustainability at the forefront – and this year's Global
Sustainability Barometer study highlights that organizations must
move from intent to collective action to drive change," said
Faith Taylor, Chief Corporate
Citizenship and Sustainability Officer at Kyndryl. "By integrating
sustainability into a company's business strategy, processes and
systems, organizations can maximize the value of their people and
technology to achieve internal goals and deliver positive
impact."
The study shows that leaders are increasingly recognizing the
benefits of sustainability initiatives for their organizations,
with specific areas where improvements can be made. By embedding
technology into sustainability strategies, organizations can turn
abstract goals into actionable, data-driven plans.
The study highlights the following areas of opportunity:
- Only 21% of organizations globally recognize technology's dual
role in reducing their company's carbon footprints and advancing
broader sustainability goals.
- While 54% of businesses say sustainability goals and
initiatives are incorporated into existing reporting processes,
only 19% fully use data for strategic planning and
decision-making.
- 55% believe artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly
impact their sustainability goals, but 62% of organizations limit
initiatives to analyzing historical data for monitoring and
reporting.
Matthew Sekol, a Sustainability
Global Black Belt at Microsoft, added, "Companies can gain the
insights needed to deliver on their commitments and drive
resilience by integrating sustainability data with operational and
financial data, and using traditional data analytics and robust AI
tooling to reshape operational efficiencies and foster sustainable
innovations."
Taking action to advance sustainability strategies
The study's detailed analysis and deep insights can enable
organizations to enhance their sustainability efforts. To fully
realize an organization's potential, consider the following guiding
principles:
- Technology must be core to strategic planning. 38%
leverage IT to reduce their own organization's environmental impact
while 17% say data and technology is helping achieve sustainability
goals. In the next year, companies should consider integrating
technology into sustainability strategies to turn abstract goals
into actionable plans.
- Recast the role of AI. 62% of organizations use AI
to monitor energy use and emissions, but only 37% use predictive AI
to forecast energy needs based on current trends and patterns.
Integrating AI-powered scenario planning and climate risk
mitigation allows organizations to adopt a holistic approach to
environmental responsibility, enhancing readiness for future
challenges.
- Harness data for proactive business
transformation. Disparate data across various enterprise
planning systems is seen as a clear challenge as only 15% use data
to guide their business' transformation journeys. By effectively
integrating the disparate data, organizations gain a more
comprehensive and accurate understanding of their environmental
impact, which leads to informed sustainability decisions.
- Foster a culture of collective responsibility. CEOs
continue to shape sustainability goals and 49% of organizations
consider Chief Sustainability Officers and sustainability teams key
stakeholders (vs. 27% in 2023). The next step is for organizations
to fully engage cross-functional teams, particularly finance and
technology, to move sustainability into a core business priority
and ensure implementation.
While the benefit of AI for sustainability is gaining traction,
AI's environmental impact is a growing concern. Only 35% of
organizations are considering the energy implications of their AI
solutions. Kyndryl and Microsoft provide actionable strategies for
organizations to measure infrastructure baseline emissions and
optimize AI architectures, including AI and machine learning models
to minimize energy use and reduce waste. The two companies work
closely with organizations to ensure that technological
advancements contribute positively to sustainability goals without
compromising innovation.
"As organizations increasingly recognize sustainability as a
strategic imperative, we're witnessing a surge of innovation and
collaboration. AI is at the forefront of this movement, empowering
businesses to optimize resource consumption, reduce waste and drive
positive environmental impact," said Ullrich Loeffler, CEO & Co-Founder of
Ecosystm. "By uniting our efforts and leveraging technology, we can
create a more sustainable and equitable future for generations to
come."
About the Study
The second edition of the Global
Sustainability Barometer study, conducted by Ecosystm and
commissioned by Kyndryl and Microsoft, reflects the perspectives of
1,355 global sustainability leaders spanning 20 countries and 9
industry groups. Conducted between August and September 2024, this study aims to bridge the
sustainability-technology divide by examining the roles of
strategy, data and AI in achieving sustainability goals.
Learn more about the study, "From Insights to Action: The
Technology Impact on Sustainability."
About Kyndryl
Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) is the world's
largest IT infrastructure services provider, serving thousands of
enterprise customers in more than 60 countries. The company
designs, builds, manages, and modernizes the complex,
mission-critical information systems that the world depends on
every day. For more information, please visit www.kyndryl.com.
Kyndryl Press Contact
press@kyndryl.com
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SOURCE Kyndryl