In this episode of Sustainability Matters, host David Rae, EY Global Lead for Sustainability Technology and Innovation, explores the impact of AI on climate change. As AI companies build massive data centers worldwide, a critical question emerges: Will the skyrocketing resource footprint of AI push global grids past their limits, or will AI become a vital tool to help accelerate the energy transition?

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David is joined by James Grabert from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Michael Lepech from Stanford University to break down the duality of this digital megatrend. Together, they look at the physical reality behind "the cloud," tracking how AI is driving a massive surge in electricity demand while also leaving an extensive water footprint through data center cooling and the lifecycle of chip manufacturing.

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However, they also identify areas of opportunity. The episode offers a hopeful look at "decision intelligence." The guests explain how AI is already delivering measurable climate benefits — from transforming early warning weather models in the Global South to balancing power grids and optimizing renewable energy.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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AI is already accelerating nature protection, from monitoring deforestation and biodiversity to improving climate risk assessment, supply‑chain transparency and renewable energy optimization.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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In this episode of the EY Sustainability Matters podcast, listeners will explore what it means to work in sustainability by hearing from three unique perspectives: Janine Osborne, CEO of Sustainable Seas Trust and marine conservation advocate; Alice Ashpitel, Sustainability Lead at Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team; and Benjamin Okpara, Senior Consultant in EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services. Together, they reveal how sustainability for them is more than a job — it’s a mission that spans advocacy, business innovation and advisory work.

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Listeners will hear how Janine drives systemic change across Africa’s blue economy, how Alice embeds sustainability in the fast-paced world of Formula 1 and how Ben helps organizations navigate complex environmental challenges. The episode delves into the realities of the field: balancing ambition with practical constraints, the importance of collaboration, and the personal motivations and experiences that keep these leaders moving forward.

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Discover how tax leaders can adapt to a rapidly changing regulatory environment through trusted data, AI-enabled workflows and an ecosystem-powered approach.

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Tax functions are navigating one of the most significant transformations in their history. As regulators gain greater visibility through digital reporting, e-invoicing and advanced analytics, organizations must rethink traditional tax operating models.

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Discover how trusted data, AI-enabled workflows and an ecosystem-powered approach can help create capacity, strengthen risk management and operate more effectively in a real-time world.

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https://www.ey.com/en_us/alliances/transforming-tax-for-a-real-time-world

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What happens when over a thousand climate-focused events converge in one city? At Climate Week NYC 2025, the private sector showed up in force, bringing bold ideas, collaborative energy and a clear shift from strategy to delivery. In this episode of EY Sustainability Matters, host Matthew Bell shares insights from leaders across various industries — utilities, consumer goods, technology and agriculture — as well as NGOs interviewed on the sidelines of EY-hosted events.

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Hear how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming sustainability efforts, enabling smarter and faster decisions in the race against time. Discover why nature is no longer just an ethical concern but a material business priority. Learn how cross-sector partnerships are unlocking regenerative practices and reshaping supply chains.

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From boardroom strategies to landscape-level collaboration, this episode captures the pulse of NY Climate Week and the momentum building toward the upcoming COP30 in Brazil.

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Host Matt Bell explores the pivotal role of Nationally Determined Contributions[RU7.1] (NDCs) in shaping climate policy and investment strategies. He interviews four experts to get their insights.

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Joanna MacGregor, a senior advisor at the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), explains how NDCs have evolved into comprehensive national climate plans that can drive economic growth and resilience. Antonina Scheer, Policy Fellow at the London School of Economics and Research Project Manager at the Transition Pathway Initiative Centre, discusses the challenges of financing climate action in emerging markets and introduces a tool that helps assess the credibility and ambition of NDCs. Pablo Carvajal, Director in the Climate Change and Sustainability Services team at EY UKI, shares insights from his work with governments and banks, highlighting the disconnect between policy targets and business implementation. Claudia Gollmeier, Managing Director at Colchester Global Investors, emphasizes the importance of investors considering NDCs and the rise of innovative financial instruments like sustainability-linked bonds.

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Together, the guests underscore the urgency of making NDCs investable and inclusive, involving businesses and investors in their design and execution. Despite delays in countries submitting their NDC plans, they remain optimistic about the potential of NDCs to unlock financial flows and accelerate the global transition to a low-carbon economy.

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Discover how EY and SAP help organizations embed tax into core business processes and build a foundation for data, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI).

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Tax functions are under increasing pressure to keep pace with regulatory changes, rising data demands and the need for faster business insights. In this video, EY explores how organizations can modernize their tax operating models, leverage data and AI, and integrate tax more closely with the broader enterprise to support near real-time decision-making. The discussion highlights the role of technology, automation and analytics in helping tax teams improve efficiency, manage risk and create greater business value. Learn how leading organizations are transforming tax from a compliance-focused function into a strategic business enabler.

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Discover how EY, Veeva and a leading life sciences organization reduced complexity, modernized quality operations and built a foundation for AI-driven transformation: https://www.ey.com/en_us/alliances/modernizing-quality-operations-in-life-sciences

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Fragmented systems and disconnected data can limit visibility, efficiency and innovation across life sciences organizations.

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In this Future in Focus video, discover how EY, Veeva and a leading life sciences organization took an ecosystem-driven approach to simplifying a fragmented technology environment and establishing a more connected quality foundation.

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The collaboration focused on improving data flows, supporting a more seamless user experience and creating a scalable digital foundation for analytics, automation and future AI-enabled capabilities.

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https://www.ey.com/en_us/ecosystems

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In this episode of Sustainability Matters, host Colin Tetreault, Managing Director, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young LLP, explores the shifting environmental landscape of the sports industry. As North America enters an unprecedented era of mega events, a critical question emerges: Is the massive environmental footprint of sports a standard business liability, or can it become a powerful driver for operational resilience?

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Colin is joined by Heather Watkins, co-founder of Bold Reuse, to break down the operational realities of tackling single-use waste at scale. The conversation confronts major logistical and economic challenges, mapping out the impact of rising supply-chain costs for single-use products and upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation in the US.

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The episode offers an inspiring look at how sports venues act as a "cultural beacon" for innovation. Heather explains how implementing reusable packaging systems not only cuts costs but also drives local jobs, community engagement, and new corporate sponsorship revenue.

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In this episode of Sustainability Matters podcast, host Christian Orth explores how Siemens is using sustainability reporting as a powerful management tool to help steer business performance. As new regulatory frameworks such as CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) roll out, he explores whether ESG disclosure is simply an administrative burden or a tool to drive real value.

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Christian is joined by Thomas Knoblauch from Siemens AG and Caroline Pfaff, Partner at EY Germany (EY GmbH & Co. KG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft) to break down the practical reality of ESG reporting. Together, they look at the challenge of complex global data, tracking how organizations can move past chasing “perfect” real-time metrics and instead prioritize immediate progress over perfection.

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