Sophie Graham Chief Sustainability Officer IFS

While there are obvious and oftencited concerns about AI and its impact on the planet – increased water and electricity usage, not to mention additional carbon emissions – there are signs it could play a positive role when it comes to sustainability reporting, data management and beyond.

Research from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Systemiq shows AI can play a powerful role in the climate transition. It finds that, by 2035, AI could reduce global emissions by 5.4 GtCO₂e annually, outweighing AI’ s own energy use.

The study focuses on the power, transport and food sectors, which make up nearly half of global emissions.

At Sustainability LIVE at London Climate Action Week, four senior sustainability leaders came together to discuss how their organisations are harnessing the power of AI to reduce environmental impact.

• Sophie Graham, Chief Sustainability Officer at IFS

• Adam Elman, Director of Sustainability, EMEA at Google

• Lyndsay Harris-Kyei, Vice President of Global Impact and Sustainability at ServiceNow

• Mark McKenna, Global Director – Impact Office at Arcadis

94 July 2026

AI Magazine June 2026 Issue 46 | Page 94

While there are obvious and oftencited concerns about AI and its impact on the planet – increased water and electricity usage, not to mention additional carbon emissions – there are signs it could play a positive role when it comes to sustainability reporting, data management and beyond.