EY Sustainability Matters

In this episode of EY Sustainability Matters, David Rae, EY Global Lead for Technology, AI and Innovation at EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services, explores the complex intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and nature. The host poses the question: Can technology solve the nature loss crisis, or will its resource-heavy footprint only accelerate the problem?
Hear industry voices and activists debate whether AI is a necessary tool for nature's survival and offer holistic views on the risks and opportunities ahead, drawing on a hypothetical debate from The EY AI x Sustainability Exchange: from big questions to real solutions, where activists were asked to take opposing sides of the argument. 
Gilad Goren of the Nature Tech Collective argues that reversing nature loss is impossible without AI, which is essential for de-risking private sector investment and closing the nature finance gap. We also hear how companies, such as SAP, IBM, Treefera and others, are leveraging real-time data to track deforestation and optimize crop yields in hard-to-abate sectors.
Conversely, activists Livia Pagoto and Fred Werner highlight the "shadow effect" — the skyrocketing energy and water demands of massive data centers. The conversation also explores ethical governance, questioning whether potentially biased algorithms can ever replicate human care required to protect the environment.
AI is already accelerating nature protection, from monitoring deforestation and biodiversity to improving climate risk assessment, supply‑chain transparency and renewable energy optimization.
However, AI's rapid growth is resource‑intensive, driving significant increases in energy and water use, and raising concerns about scalability, equity and environmental impact.
Progress requires collective action, combining human wisdom, inclusive governance, Indigenous knowledge and responsible innovation, to ensure that AI strengthens — rather than replaces — our relationship with nature.
@2026 Ernst & Young LLP

In this episode of EY Sustainability Matters, David Rae, EY Global Lead for Technology, AI and Innovation at EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services, explores the complex intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and nature. The host poses the question: Can technology solve the nature loss crisis, or will its resource-heavy footprint only accelerate the problem?
Hear industry voices and activists debate whether AI is a necessary tool for nature's survival and offer holistic views on the risks and opportunities ahead, drawing on a hypothetical debate from The EY AI x Sustainability Exchange: from big questions to real solutions, where activists were asked to take opposing sides of the argument. 
Gilad Goren of the Nature Tech Collective argues that reversing nature loss is impossible without AI, which is essential for de-risking private sector investment and closing the nature finance gap. We also hear how companies, such as SAP, IBM, Treefera and others, are leveraging real-time data to track deforestation and optimize crop yields in hard-to-abate sectors.
Conversely, activists Livia Pagoto and Fred Werner highlight the "shadow effect" — the skyrocketing energy and water demands of massive data centers. The conversation also explores ethical governance, questioning whether potentially biased algorithms can ever replicate human care required to protect the environment.
AI is already accelerating nature protection, from monitoring deforestation and biodiversity to improving climate risk assessment, supply‑chain transparency and renewable energy optimization.

However, AI's rapid growth is resource‑intensive, driving significant increases in energy and water use, and raising concerns about scalability, equity and environmental impact.

Progress requires collective action, combining human wisdom, inclusive governance, Indigenous knowledge and responsible innovation, to ensure that AI strengthens — rather than replaces — our relationship with nature.

@2026 Ernst & Young LLP

In this episode of EY Sustainability Matters, David Rae, EY Global Lead for Technology, AI and Innovation at EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services, explores the complex intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and nature. The host poses the question: Can technology solve the nature loss crisis, or will its resource-heavy footprint only accelerate the problem?
Hear industry voices and activists debate whether AI is a necessary tool for nature's survival and offer holistic views on the risks and opportunities ahead, drawing on a hypothetical debate from The EY AI x Sustainability Exchange: from big questions to real solutions, where activists were asked to take opposing sides of the argument. 
Gilad Goren of the Nature Tech Collective argues that reversing nature loss is impossible without AI, which is essential for de-risking private sector investment and closing the nature finance gap. We also hear how companies, such as SAP, IBM, Treefera and others, are leveraging real-time data to track deforestation and optimize crop yields in hard-to-abate sectors.
Conversely, activists Livia Pagoto and Fred Werner highlight the "shadow effect" — the skyrocketing energy and water demands of massive data canters. The conversation also explores ethical governance, questioning whether potentially biased algorithms can ever replicate human care required to protect the environment.
AI is already accelerating nature protection, from monitoring deforestation and biodiversity to improving climate risk assessment, supply‑chain transparency and renewable energy optimization.

However, AI's rapid growth is resource‑intensive, driving significant increases in energy and water use, and raising concerns about scalability, equity and environmental impact.

Progress requires collective action, combining human wisdom, inclusive governance, Indigenous knowledge and responsible innovation, to ensure that AI strengthens — rather than replaces — our relationship with nature.
@2026 Ernst & Young LLP

In this episode of the Sustainability Matters podcast, hosts Bruno Sarda and Anne Munaretto interview Ravi Annapragada, Director of Sustainability and Energy Strategy at Carrier, a global supplier of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) products. Together they discuss 'Joining forces for a sustainable future', a collaboration between Carrier customers, suppliers, and internal teams that aims to accelerate decarbonization and drive meaningful sustainability progress.  

The initiative, engaging 10 major customers across various sectors at different stages of their sustainability journey, highlights the benefits of moving away from isolated efforts toward partnership and co-creation. 

The discussion describes the HVAC giant's path to setting ambitious science-based targets, recognizing that most emissions stem from product use and realizing that addressing these challenges requires collaboration rather than a solely transactional relationship. The guests also emphasize the importance of internal alignment, especially with sales teams, and demonstrate that sustainability and business growth can be mutually reinforcing.

In this episode of the EY Sustainability Matters podcast, hosts Elanne Almeida, EY LATAM Industrials and Energy Lead for Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS), and Matthew Handford, EY CCaSS Lead for Financial Services in the Americas, unpack the pivotal outcomes of COP30 and what they mean for the year ahead. This episode moves beyond the conference itself to focus on how its decisions are shaping business and policy strategies for 2026.
Listeners will hear insights from global leaders and industry professionals on the shift from climate pledges to implementation, the rise of accountability frameworks, and the growing role of collaboration between the private and public sectors. Discover how new transparency requirements, ambitious national climate plans (NDCs) and innovative collaborations are setting the stage for measurable progress in sustainability — and why 2026 is poised to be a defining year for climate action worldwide.