Global disruption has significantly affected the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with only 17% of the goals projected to be met by 2030. In parallel, Generative AI is transforming the business environment, with 97% of leaders in various sectors anticipating its crucial role in reinventing its businesses over the next three to five years.
In this scenario, the UN Global Compact and Accenture have launched a report titled “Generative AI for the global goals: Private sector guide to accelerate sustainable development with technology.” This document seeks to guide business leaders on how to use generative AI to advance the SDGs. The report highlights how this technology can optimize operational efficiency, increase productivity, foster innovation and improve sustainability reporting.
Cristina Sánchez, executive director of the UN Global Compact Spain, emphasizes that generative AI has the potential to transform the world at a critical moment, as long as it is used responsibly to ensure a positive impact and advance towards the SDGs, “from the UN Global Compact Spain, we guide companies towards this purpose, ensuring that generative AI is at the service of people and the planet, promoting an inclusive and sustainable future.”
Generative AI and Sustainable Development Goals
The report also warns of the risks of generative AI and provides a framework for its responsible application, underscoring the importance of human oversight, ethical governance and alignment with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. Furthermore, it urges companies to take ambitious measures to close the gap between current efforts and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Among the main conclusions are:
- Operational efficiency: Generative AI can improve predictive analytics and maintenance, reducing energy consumption and downtime, which is crucial for managing limited resources sustainably.
This report from the UN Global Compact and Accenture provides business leaders with the tools to develop and deploy generative AI responsibly and sustainably.
- Sustainable value chains: Enables comprehensive life cycle assessments, risk mitigation in procurement, and supplier engagement in sustainable practices, such as tracking carbon footprints in supply chains.
- Innovation for sustainable solutions: Facilitates rapid prototyping and deployment of solutions that respond to new social and environmental needs, accelerating research and development.
- Communication and information: Automates data collection, analysis and reporting, improving sustainability reporting and helping to comply with regulatory frameworks.
“The optimistic vision that generative AI makes the world more inclusive, sustainable, equitable and fair depends on its responsible development and deployment,” concludes Nicolás Gavela, head of Sustainability Services at Accenture. “In using generative AI to advance the Global Goals, the private sector must lead through building trust and transparency, balancing the need to maximize value while minimizing potential risks that arise as “We move towards a more equitable and sustainable future for all.”
