98% of Indian business leaders plan to invest in IT to achieve sustainability goals, with AI proving to be a powerful tool in this effort as per "The State of Sustainability Readiness 2024" report
Indian business leaders increasingly view investments in IT as crucial not only for environmental responsibility but also to drive long-term business resilience (61 percent) and improve brand reputation (64 percent), according to IBM's "The State of Sustainability Readiness 2024" report.
The study reveals that nearly 98 percent of Indian respondents are planning to increase IT investments aimed at sustainability in the next 12 months.
"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, in a statement reported by The Economic Times.
"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," Patel added.
Read More: Generative AI Key To Achieving SDGs: Report
The report further emphasises that 9 out of 10 Indian executives believe in AI’s potential to drive sustainability outcomes. An overwhelming 96 percent agree that AI can positively impact their sustainability efforts, and 64 percent of Indian companies are already using AI to support their sustainability initiatives.
The report also highlights water usage as a major challenge for Indian businesses. Notably, brand reputation (64 percent) and long-term business resilience (61 percent) emerge as the leading drivers for IT sustainability investments in India.
In addition, 81 percent of Indian business leaders are adopting proactive strategies to build climate resilience, with 54 percent implementing opportunity-driven sustainability investments. Impressively, 79 percent report having mature systems in place to track sustainability progress through data.
In a similar vein, a UN Global Compact report underscores the transformative role of generative AI in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as most global targets remain out of reach with the 2030 deadline approaching. According to the study, 97 percent of business leaders across industries identify generative AI as a critical driver of reinvention in the next three to five years.
As the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development deadline looms, the call for businesses to embrace AI as a catalyst for change has never been more urgent.