Technology is Game Changer for Sustainability: Survey

Kyndryl, the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider, and Microsoft have released the Asia Pacific edition of The Global Sustainability Barometer study. The Ecosystem study assesses the disparity between intent and action in India's sustainability terrain, asserting that sustainability can be a game-changer for innovation, growth and competitiveness.

Even as anxiety over the threat posed by climate change spirals across the world, technology is emerging as a critical enabler of sustainability solutions in India. As many as 68 percent of those surveyed acknowledged that technology could play a decisive role in their efforts to achieve sustainability goals. However, only 38 percent believe that their organisations are using technology to its full potential. 

The survey shows that customers lead the advocacy for sustainability (60 percent), well ahead of employees (52 percent) and supply chain partners (40 percent). 

The study points out that armed with refined and predictive AI-generated data, companies can enhance their decision-making processes, which, in turn, would mitigate risks, optimise resource allocation and bolster sustainability practices across the board. The challenge is, of course, accessing quality data, which is the primary reason for the tardy progress of environmentally conscious decision-making aided by technology. 

There is, therefore, a significant need to establish a robust data infrastructure capable of powering predictive analytics for sustainable planning and resource management.

Key findings from the survey:

• 86 percent of Indian organisations recognise the importance of sustainability, but only 16 percent have prioritised sustainability goals based on accurate data.
• 41 percent integrate sustainability initiatives into their reporting for compliance.
• 89 percent acknowledge the Indian government's role in the adoption of sustainability.
• 9 percent use AI to monitor energy usage and emissions, with varying percentages using it for other purposes.

To drive growth and improve business outcomes, it is essential to prioritise sustainability at the CEO and boardroom level, aligning it with finance and technology. This should be coupled with modernising technology to support sustainability initiatives. Building an integrated data foundation can provide the necessary insights, while the utilisation of AI for predictive sustainability can further enhance decision-making. Empowering employees to contribute to sustainability efforts can also play a crucial role in achieving these objectives.