A new BearingPoint thought leadership study shows that sustainability ambitions face growing pressure in the AI era. While 95% of organizations commit to ambitious climate targets, 37% struggle to translate these ambitions into action as AI and digital technologies expand.

Sustainability commitments are now firmly embedded in corporate strategy across industries. Yet translating these ambitions into measurable environmental progress remains challenging. According to a new study by management and technology consultancy BearingPoint, nearly all surveyed organizations have committed to science-based climate (SBTi) targets or plan to do so, but more than one-third are already experiencing delays in achieving them.

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The report, “Achieving environmental goals in the AI era: Winning blueprint for sustainable technology,” highlights a growing gap between sustainability ambition and operational execution. As digital transformation accelerates, CIOs and CTOs face an increasingly complex task: leveraging technology to support environmental goals while managing the rising energy and resource demands of digital infrastructure and AI.

“Many organizations have set ambitious climate targets, but turning these commitments into operational reality remains difficult,” said 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.”

Key findings:

• Broad commitment, slow execution: 95% of companies are committed to SBTi targets or have a structured climate action plan in place yet 37% report delays in achieving them.
• Digital emissions still low, but rising: The digital footprint of IT remains below 5% of total emissions for most companies, but is expected to grow as AI adoption accelerates.
• Sustainability governance is fragmented: Only 36% of businesses have fully integrated their technology and sustainability strategies, with KPIs aligned to corporate environmental targets.
• CIOs/CTOs are not yet central players: 40% of CIOs/CTOs are not involved in sustainability decision-making, and only 20% co-develop climate goals at the executive level.
• Technology supplier data is a major pain point: Just 33% feel they have sufficient supplier data to commit credibly to reduction targets.
• Big tooling gap for ESG management: 50% say they lack the right tools to manage sustainability.
• Shift toward dedicated ESG platforms: 67% believe specialized digital sustainability platforms – not ERP/BI – will be the right solution by 2030.

The growing sustainability challenge of digital transformation

The study shows that digital technologies currently account for a relatively small share of overall corporate emissions, with most organizations estimating their digital footprint at less than 5 percent. However, this share is expected to grow as organizations adopt more data-intensive technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.

AI and advanced analytics offer powerful tools for improving environmental performance, from optimizing energy consumption and supply chains to enabling more precise sustainability reporting. At the same time, the computing resources required to train and operate AI models can significantly increase energy consumption if not carefully managed.

As a result, organizations must strike a balance between leveraging digital technologies to accelerate sustainability progress and ensuring that these technologies remain environmentally responsible.

From green IT to sustainable technology leadership

Historically, CIOs and CTOs have played a limited role in sustainability initiatives, focusing primarily on green IT measures such as energy-efficient data centers or hardware lifecycle management. However, the study finds that technology leaders should take a broader role in AI-driven responsible transformation. This includes enabling organizations to measure and track sustainability performance to reduce environmental footprints, embed sustainability criteria into technology and AI-driven portfolio management, and use data and AI to support more sustainable business processes.

By taking a more active role in sustainability governance, CIOs and CTOs can help organizations transform technology from a contributor to emissions into a key driver of environmental progress.

“AI can become one of the most powerful enablers of sustainability, but only if it is deployed responsibly,” concludes Rémy Sergent, global leader People & Strategy at BearingPoint. “Organizations 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 organizations reduce emissions and unlock new opportunities for environmentally responsible innovation.”

About the study

The study “Achieving environmental goals in the AI era: Winning blueprint for sustainable technology” is based on an online survey conducted in February 2026 among 510 C-level executives and senior leaders in technology and sustainability, including CIOs, CTOs, CAIOs, and heads of sustainability. Respondents represent large organizations with revenues exceeding $500 million across a wide range of sectors, including banking, insurance, automotive, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, utilities, and technology.

Geographically, the research covers key markets in Europe and the United States, including Finland, the Nordics, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the US.

In addition to the survey, BearingPoint analyzed best practices and common challenges observed among its clients as they work to achieve environmental goals in the context of AI-driven transformation.

Download the full study here: https://www.bearingpoint.com/en/insights-events/insights/achieving-environmental-goals-in-the-ai-era/.

About BearingPoint

BearingPoint is an independent management and technology consultancy with European roots and a global reach that transforms businesses using technology intelligently. The firm operates across three core units: Consulting, Products, and Capital. Its Consulting services focus on selected areas, combining business and technology expertise with profound industry knowledge. The Products unit provides IP-driven solutions and managed services for business-critical processes. Capital delivers deal advisory and transaction services. In addition to its core operations, BearingPoint runs two joint ventures: Arcwide, a JV with IFS, which specializes in business transformation based on IFS technology, and BearingPoint North America, a JV with ABeam, which is dedicated to consulting excellence and business transformation built on SAP.

BearingPoint serves many of the world’s leading companies and organizations. Together with its strategic alliance partner ABeam Consulting, the firm brings together 15,000 professionals and supports clients in over 70 countries, delivering seamless business transformation with sustainable impact.

BearingPoint is a certified B Corporation, driven by a strong sense of purpose – today and into the future.

For more information, please visit:

Homepage: www.bearingpoint.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bearingpoint

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AI can become one of the most powerful enablers of sustainability, but only if it is deployed responsibly.