The AI Paradox: Powering Progress or Draining the Planet?

AI can play a powerful role in accelerating sustainability - from optimizing energy use, to improving climate models and monitoring biodiversity – but it also brings with it a significant environmental footprint of its own. As AI’s rapid growth drives up energy consumption and increases pressure on data infrastructure, a critical question emerges for the tech sector: can it deliver economic growth and advance sustainability initiatives without causing outsized damage to the planet in the process?

In this episode Nicola Acutt, Chief Sustainability Officer at NetApp, and Lucas Joppa, Senior Managing Director & Chief Sustainability Officer at Haveli Investments (and former Chief Environmental Officer at Microsoft) reveal how the tech sector is reimagining its strategies to drive impact. We dive into why energy management has become mission-critical for tech companies, grapple with AI’s dual impact, explore the shift towards integrated business strategies and examine what it means to lead in sustainability in today’s high-stakes context.

Key learnings from this episode:

• Discover why energy management is now a strategic imperative
• Explore how procurement is emerging as a critical lever in the net-zero transition
• Learn how the CSO role is rapidly evolving into a strategic leadership position that blends environmental insight with technical expertise.
• Understand why scenario-based thinking, resilience, and stakeholder storytelling are defining the next chapter of sustainability leadership