IBM, led by CEO Arvind Krishna (pictured above, middle), expects to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the technology company said in February 2021. And much has happened since the date Krishna made that statement.
Christina Shim (pictured above, left), chief sustainability officer, is driving the sustainability efforts. But the technology company's sustainability push doesn't end there. IBM also develops cloud-based sustainability software tools for partners and customers to leverage. And the IBM Sustainability Accelerator provides credits for IBM Cloud and IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite Data APIs to nonprofit and government organizations worldwide that are embarking on sustainability initiatives.
The timeline below, updated regularly, further explains IBM's sustainability strategy, key milestones, customer engagements, partner integrations and more. Check back regularly for updates, and keep an eye on the IBM Think 2025 conference -- set for May 5-8 in Boston, Massachusetts.
December 2024 Updates
- Quantum Computing: IBM and the state of Illinois are collaborating to establish the new National Quantum Algorithm Center in the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) in Chicago. Key participants include the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. IBM's next-generation quantum computer, IBM Quantum System Two, will deploy in Chicago in 2025. Quantum Computers, which are still emerging, may help scientists to solve complex medical, industry, energy and climate problems.
- Research - Executive Perspectives: Roughly 67% of top executives surveyed viewed their climate resiliency efforts as proactive, compared to just 56% of lower-level decision makers, an IBM survey found.
- AI and the Energy Grid: IBM researchers are exploring how AI can prepare the electrical grid for the low-carbon era, the technology company said.
November 2024 Updates
Software: IBM has launched a remote monitoring and management (RMM) software platform to help customers maintain and optimize their renewable energy assets. The platform, called IBM Maximo Renewables, allows customers track and monitor renewable asset performance; plan and manage maintenance work; and identify root-causes for efficiency losses and recommend actions.
Partnership - AI Solutions: IBM and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) announce new, publicly available AI-powered solutions to "inform more sustainable urban development for cities and communities around the world, enabling decision-makers and policymakers to map urbanization and identify energy and infrastructure needs for communities in developing regions," the organizations said.
Quantum Computing: IBM announced quantum hardware and software advancements to "execute complex algorithms on IBM quantum computers IBM quantum computers with record levels of scale, speed, and accuracy," the company said. IBM says the computers can help customers "tackle scientific problems across materials, chemistry, life sciences, high-energy physics, and more," the firm added.
Research - IT and AI for Sustainability: Roughly 88% of business leaders plan to increase investments in IT for sustainability over the next 12 months, IBM research found. Moreover, 90% of executives surveyed believe AI will positively influence sustainability goals — yet more than half of organizations aren't leveraging AI for sustainability, the IBM survey results revealed.
AI for Small Business: IBM is touting AI for small business and entrepreneur use, the company said.
Egypt - Partnership: IBM's sustainability accelerator and the Environment Without Borders Foundation (EWBF) have launched Green Taqa to "expand access to clean energy resources and providers for communities across Egypt." The effort seeks to "facilitate access to, track usage of, and provide user support for clean energy," the companies said.
October 2024 Updates
AI and Energy Efficiency Tips: Companies can leverage these AI energy consumption tips to make AI applications more energy efficient, according to IBM CSO Christina Shim.
U.S. Government - ESG Software: IBM's Envizi software received Fedramp authorization -- which means the ESG software suite is available to U.S. federal agencies on the FedRAMP Marketplace. Customers and partners can find the software in the Analytics and Data Management business categories, IBM said.
Earnings: IBM disclosed weak Q3 2024 consulting revenues, and IBM shares dropped about 5% on the quarterly results. IBM did not mention its ESG or sustainability software tools in the earnings announcement or associated earnings call with Wall Street analysts.
M&A - Software and Renewable Energy Management: IBM has acquired Prescinto, a developer of asset performance management (APM) software for renewable energy systems. The software allows customers to track and monitor the performance of solar, wind and energy storage assets in near real-time; identify root causes for underperformance; and recommend actions to optimize generation, IBM said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
AI Perspectives: In a Climate Tech NYC recap, multiple IBM leaders shared their views on AI and sustainability.
Quantum Computing Expansion: IBM has unveiled the first IBM Quantum Data Center located outside of the United States. The new center is located in Ehningen, Germany. IBM positions quantum computing for advanced use cases -- including climate tech research.
September 2024 Updates
Quantum Computing: IBM has expanded a Quantum Data Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. The data center has the "highest number of available utility-scale quantum computers at a single location in the world," IBM asserts. A second IBM Quantum Data Center which will soon open in Ehningen, Germany, the company said. Customers can leverage the IBM Cloud to access the quantum computing capabilities.
Partnership - AI and Weather Forecasting: IBM and NASA, with an assist from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have developed a new AI foundation model that allows "scientists, developers, and businesses to better understand and analyze weather and climate data," the organizations said.
Research - IT Operations and Carbon Accounting: Fully 99% of executives are unable to quantify their IT operations' exact carbon footprint, but generative AI can help, IBM research asserts.
Layoffs - IT Solutions: IBM has been laying off a substantial number of employees this week and is trying to keep it quiet, The Register reported. We don't know if the job cuts involved IBM's sustainability and ESG software teams. The company expects to exit 2024 with headcount figures that are roughly equal to 2023, the report said.
Partnership - AI and Energy Management: IBM and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched new interactive models on energy within UNDP's global GeoHub platform. These solutions leverage IBM watsonx AI and more to help users analyze complex energy issues.
August 2024 Updates
Asia Pacific - Sustainability Guide: IBM, in collaboration with Ecosystm, has released a Sustainability Technology Guide for Executives. The guide seeks to "empower business leaders in the Asia Pacific region to leverage tech-business synergy to accelerate sustainable transformation."
Partnerships - Higher Education: IBM and Imperial College of London have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to partner on climate and sustainability opportunities, the future of computing, accelerated discovery and AI. Separately, IBM and the National University of Singapore (NUS) are partnering to establish a new research and innovation center focused on AI and sustainable computing, CIO Souteast Asia reported.
July 2024 Updates
Partnership - ESG Software and Services: JLL’s sustainability services team will leverage the IBM Envizi ESG Suite as part of its real estate decarbonization strategy. Related: See our IBM sustainability strategy timeline.
Energy Management Software: In a blog, IBM explained the ongoing shift to renewable energy -- and the need for energy management software solutions.
June 2024: Key Milestones
Emissions Management Software: IBM has added AI-powered features to the Maximo Application Suite. Some of the enhancements involve emissions management capabilities, according to this blog from Kendra DeKeyrel. Among the details to note:
- Tools such as Maximo Emissions Management, now available in the Maximo Application Suite, can "help balance operational efficiency with environmental responsibility," she wrote. The application suite integrates with the IBM Envizi ESG Suite.
- A new cloud-based data platform, Environmental Intelligence, is arriving as promised. The platform provides customers with "environmental data and insights that can help them mitigate the environmental impact on their assets and build more climate-resilient operations," she wrote.
Partnership - Data Center Testbed: IBM, Syracuse University and New York State have created a Green Data Center to research how energy-efficient technologies can reduce energy costs and environmental impact.
More: Continue to the next page for additional IBM sustainability news and milestones.
