Climate Week NYC: How AI is Disrupting Sustainability Reporting

During Climate Week NYC, we were thrilled to join a panel of sustainability and AI experts to discuss a pressing challenge facing corporate communicators today: how AI is disrupting Sustainability Reporting, our jobs, and even how we communicate and who we’re communicating with.

Companies now face the impossible task of satisfying investors seeking detailed data, employees wanting authentic stories, regulators requiring compliance documentation, and increasingly, AI systems that synthesize information for future stakeholders who may never read your actual report.

The panel brought together diverse expertise to address this challenge, from data analytics and global strategy to media distribution and strategic communications.

Perspectives: A Shared Foundation

Julie Kae, VP Sustainability and Executive Director at Qlik.org, emphasized the critical need to “get out of spreadsheets” and “break down the silos” that plague sustainability data management. Qlik’s approach positions AI as both a tool for analysis and a partner in decision-making, helping organizations leverage data integration and quality analytics to drive action across the business.

Dave Armon, Executive Vice Chairman at 3BL, addressed the growing risk of “greenhushing” — staying silent about sustainability efforts to avoid controversy. His research reveals that 66% of U.S. adults want companies to stay the course on sustainability regardless of political changes. 3BL’s focus on market analysis, reach and engagement, provides the distribution and measurement infrastructure to ensure sustainability messages actually reach their intended audiences.

James Grabert, Director of the Mitigation Division at UNFCCC, provided a global perspective on AI’s potential for climate action, from GHG emissions monitoring to early warning systems. His examples — including real-time emissions and AI-powered disaster preparedness systems — demonstrate AI’s power to enhance transparency and drive more effective climate policies. He also emphasized the importance of managing risks, from digital divides to resource consumption, noting that AI could consume 6.6 billion cubic meters of water by 2027.

Jerome Cloetens of Palau Project and Matthew Gardner of Sustainserv outlined the rapid evolution from “Excel to AI agents,” showing how sustainability processes are moving from manual data collection to smart tools with conversational AI, and ultimately to AI agents that can design, collect, calculate, and map sustainability data with minimal human intervention. Their partnership and product demonstrate the practical implementation of AI in corporate sustainability, while emphasizing the critical importance of keeping “humans in the loop” for expert judgment, risk management, and trust-building.

IOP’s Focus: The Communications Solution

Michelle M. Marks‘ presentation cut to the heart of why traditional approaches fail. The challenge isn’t just technical, it’s strategic. When a single report tries to serve investors, regulators, employees, communities, partners, customers, and now AI systems, it satisfies no one completely.

This evolution from today’s single report-driven communication to tomorrow’s strategic communication approach reflects the shifting landscape of sustainability reporting. With uncertainty in the regulatory environment and shifting  stakeholder expectations communication approaches must evolve. Mandatory reporting provides the data foundation and hits compliance needs, voluntary reporting tells the strategic story married with data, and other communications bring that story to life across touch points throughout the year.

The presentation also touched on the reality that communications, including reports, must now serve both human audiences and AI systems. Modern websites need to build trust with audiences and AI by creating authoritative digital ecosystems. This helps address the urgent need to be the authority on your own company, to provide information so that when stakeholders ask AI about your company, it’s your information that’s cited.

Michelle also highlighted the visual storytelling component to connect with human readers—the ultimate decision makers—and build authentic trust. Companies must avoid sustainability visual clichés and instead use data visualizations, charts and infographics that supercharge sustainability communications with brand-aligned imagery, real photography of their work, to  make complex information accessible and reinforce their messages.

IOP’s strategic approach centers on four key elements to help organizations navigate this transition:

1. Strategy: Define your WHY — why does your company engage on these topics, that drives your approach. Then align your sustainability messaging across your organization.
2. AI as a tool and partner: Leverage AI strategically for research, analysis, and early drafts while maintaining human oversight for accuracy and brand voice. Experiment with how to use it and where it adds value for you.
3. AI as an audience: Structure information for both human and AI comprehension, recognizing that AI search changes everything.
4. Visual storytelling: Combine data, narrative, and design for maximum impact.

Most importantly, this isn’t about creating more work. The goal is to streamline efforts, optimize content across channels, and turn requirements into opportunities

What’s Next?

The Climate Week NYC event was a practical exploration of what is happening now, what you can do, and what’s to come. AI will affect all aspects of communications, including Reporting. The companies that thrive will be those that embrace strategic communications approaches and utilize AI where it adds value to their teams. Success requires not just better data or distribution, but fundamental rethinking of how and where sustainability stories get told.

Ideas on Purpose Can Help

Ready to evolve beyond the single-report model? Ideas On Purpose specializes in developing strategic communications systems that drive engagement and demonstrate value across all stakeholder relationships. Email us to start the conversation about transforming your sustainability communications for the AI age.