India stands out as a leader in AI-driven sustainability initiatives: Report

About 98 per cent of Indian business leaders are planning to increase investment in IT for sustainability over the next 12 months, as the country remains a leader in AI-driven sustainability initiatives, a report said on Thursday.

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 per cent) and brand reputation (64 per cent), according to the IBM’s ‘State of Sustainability Readiness Report.’

“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.

“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,” Patel added.

Most Indian executives (96 per cent) believe that AI can positively impact their sustainability goals. Underscoring India’s commitment to sustainable innovation, most business leaders are already leveraging the power of AI, with 64 per cent of Indian companies actively using AI in their sustainability efforts.

The report also highlighted water usage as one of the top challenges specific to Indian companies. Brand reputation (64 per cent) is the top driver of IT sustainability investment at companies in India, followed by long-term business resilience (61 per cent).

While 81 per cent of Indian leaders adopt a proactive approach towards climate resilience, 54 per cent implement opportunity-driven sustainability investments. Further, 79 per cent of Indian leaders report having mature systems to track sustainability goals through data, the report mentioned.

The report suggested business leaders and organisations to invest in AI tools that are right for them.

Generative AI can provide insights that help identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions and create scenarios and algorithms for more sustainable business practices. This can provide organisations the insights needed to address climate crises and turn sustainability ambition into action.

“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,” the report noted.

(With inputs from IANS)