The vast majority of businesses still aren't considering sustainability as part of their overall strategy

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Only 16% have integrated sustainability into business strategies, report claims

Cisco sustainability pledge
(Image credit: Cisco)

New research from Kyndryl and Microsoft has revealed that an alarming number of businesses – 84% – aren’t integrating sustainability into their overall business strategies.

Conversely, a similar number (85%) of businesses place a high strategic level of importance on achieving their sustainability goals, leaving a considerable proportion of organizations severely lacking in adequate measures.

The study revealed the impact that technology can have on getting companies the right progress toward their goals, noting a clear disparity against the number actually using the right tools.

Technology can help businesses be more sustainable

Four in five (80%) agree that technology will play a significant role in achieving their goals, however fewer than one-third (32%) believe that they are making full use of it. The reason for this is unclear, but an overwhelming landscape of IT solutions could be at play, effectively making it difficult for companies to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Shelly Blackburn, Vice President for Cross Solutions Area at Microsoft, said: “Technology has emerged as a key enabler to sustainability success, and its role will only continue to grow with the advent of more sophisticated AI tools.”

The report raises another trend that’s been covered in recent months – that companies are lacking the correct data or data-handling procedures to reap all the benefits from AI. Just under half of the 61% of organizations using AI to monitor energy usage don’t use current data to predict future energy consumption.

Together, Kyndryl and Microsoft outline some next steps to help organizations deliver better results when it comes to their sustainability goals, including aligning it with finance and technology discussions among C-Suite and Boardroom members.

Sustainability also goes hand-in-hand with technology modernization, including deploying the right AI tools.

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Craig Hale
Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!