AI INTEGRATION BOOSTS SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE

Companies integrating AI into sustainability strategies are three times more likely to be successful, report finds.

Organisations that fully incorporate AI into their sustainability strategies report a 26% reduction in carbon emissions, compared to just 3% for those treating AI and sustainability as separate initiatives.

A report by Project Management Institute (PMI) finds firms combining AI and sustainability initiatives outperform their peers threefold. The report also highlights that AI maturity is linked to sustainability success: 31% of advanced adopters report success in energy initiatives, compared to only 8% of early adopters. PMI president and CEO Pierre Le Manh describes AI as a “catalyst” for both impact and investment when integrated as part of an effective sustainability strategy.

Across industries, AI is being applied to various sustainability goals. In manufacturing, 33% of firms use predictive maintenance to reduce downtime, 23% apply AI to quality control and 20% to optimise production lines. In supply chains, 33% use AI-based route optimisation to reduce emissions through increased efficiency. Additionally, 25% of organisations use AI for real-time energy monitoring, and 22% track their carbon footprint with AI systems. PMI advises a three-step integration framework, incorporating strong data foundations, effective collaboration and alignment.