While a majority of organisations have committed to ambitious climate targets, close to two fifths are struggling to translate these goals into measurable progress as AI and digital technologies expand, a new study by BearingPoint has suggested.
Its report, Achieving environmental goals in the AI era: Winning blueprint for sustainable technology, highlighted a ‘growing gap’ between sustainability ambition and operational execution, with CIOs and CTOs facing the challenge of levering technology to support environmental goals, while managing the increased energy and resource demands of said technologies.
‘Operational reality’
“Many organisations have set ambitious climate targets, but turning these commitments into operational reality remains difficult,” commented Matthias Roeser, global leader technology at BearingPoint. “AI is emerging as both a sustainability enabler and a new source of emissions, requiring stronger governance and measurement.”
As it noted, some 95% of the organisations it surveyed have committed to SBTi targets or have a structured climate action plan in place, however 37% report delays in achieving them.
While the digital footprint of IT remains low at most of these surveyed organisations (below 5%), it is expected to grow as AI demand accelerates.
Just over a third (36%) of businesses say that they have fully integrated their technology and sustainability strategies, while two fifths (40%) of CIOs/CTOs say that they are not involved in sustainability decision-making at their firms.
Elsewhere, one third (33%) of respondents stated that they have sufficient supplier data to commit credibly to reduction targets, while half (50%) said that they lack the correct tools to manage sustainability objectives.
It also notes a shift towards dedicated ESG platforms, with two thirds (67%) believing that specialised digital sustainability platforms will be the ‘right’ solution for their business by 2030.
A more active role
As the report suggests, by taking a more active role in sustainability governance, CIOs and CTOs can help businesses utilise technology as a key driver of environmental progress.
“AI can become one of the most powerful enablers of sustainability, but only if it is deployed responsibly,” added Rémy Sergent, global leader, people & strategy at BearingPoint.
“Organisations need a holistic approach that integrates sustainable technology architecture, transparent measurement of digital emissions, and stronger collaboration between CIOs and CTOs, sustainability leaders, and business executives. CIOs and CTOs are increasingly expected to move beyond green IT and lead sustainable technology transformation. By combining technology expertise with sustainability governance, they can help organisations reduce emissions and unlock new opportunities for environmentally responsible innovation.”
The findings are based on a survey conducted in February 2026 among 510 Europe- and US-based senior executives across sectors such as finance, manufacturing, retail, and technology, including CIOs, CTOs, CAIOs, and heads of sustainability. Read more here.
