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.
March 2026 Updates
- India - Talent and Training: 1M1B (One Million for One Billion) and IBM SkillsBuild have launched a Sustainability Experience Center at Delhi Public School Bengaluru North. The center will train young people on "sustainability awareness, climate literacy, and future-ready skills to tackle climate challenges," the organizations said.
January 2026 Updates
- Award Finalists: Finalists for the RTIH AI in Retail Awards for Sustainability include IBM Consulting, according to the Retail Tech Innovation Hub.
December 2025 Updates
- Training Services: IBM plans to train roughly 5 million learners across India in AI, cybersecurity and quantum computing by 2030. The IBM SkillsBuild effort also involves sustainability expertise.
November 2025 Updates
- Financial Services Partnership: Atruvia AG and IBM are partnering to develop "sustainable and state-of-the-art IT platforms for the banking of tomorrow." Atruvia AG, the digitalization partner of the Cooperative Financial Group, already leverages IBM Turbonomic -- which has eliminated the need for roughly 1,000 physical servers -- thereby reducing energy consumption and the associated carbon footprint, the companies said.
- Quantum Computing Partnership: IBM and Cisco Systems are partnering to explore networked distributed quantum computing. The companies are targeting an initial proof-of-concept demonstration by the end of 2030. The work could set the stage for a quantum computing Internet by the late 2030s, the duo said. Related: Quantum computing timeline and milestones, plus Cisco sustainability strategies.
- Quantum Computing Milestone: IBM is "rapidly delivering milestones towards building the world's first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029," the technology company said.
- Partnership - IT Services and Software: IT consulting firm Datacentrix has deployed IBM Envizi ESG Suite for Isuzu Motors South Africa, according to IT News Africa. The deployment project extended from January 2025 through June 2025, the report said.
- Layoffs: IBM layoffs will likely impact thousands of employees as the company shifts its focus towards its high-margin software segment, Reuters reported. We don't know if the cuts will impact IBM's ESG consulting and associated IBM Envizi software business.
October 2025 Updates
- AWS Partnership: IBM and Amazon Web Services (AWS) expanded their partnership to accelerate cloud adoption, digital transformation and sustainable IT initiatives across the Middle East, GlobalData reported.
May 2025 Updates
- Partnership - Quantum Computing and IT Services: IBM and Tata Consultancy Services are partnering to further develop India’s quantum computing industry. The effort will likely involve an IBM quantum computer deployment at a major technology park in India.
April 2025 Updates
February 2025 Updates
- Partnership - ESG Software Deployment: Astellas Pharma is using IBM Envizi software for ESG reporting requirements. Global IT consulting firm Accenture and IBM Japan are involved in various deployment and support efforts.
- Partnership - IT Consulting and ESG Software: Ramboll and IBM are "pooling their consulting and software expertise to help clients meet their sustainability targets and effectively report on their corporate and supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions," the two companies said. The effort involves Ramboll deploying IBM Envizi ESG Suite for customers. Ramboll, a consulting company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, helps customers to "set and implement sustainability strategies and climate transition plans, in compliance with global and European ESG regulation and requirements."
- Sustainable AI Coalition: IBM is among the first members of the Coalition for Sustainable AI.
- Partnership - AI and City Resilience: IBM and C40 Cities, a global network of nearly 100 city mayors, are partnering to "create a data-driven, AI-powered solution to help cities analyze potential risks that may arise as a result of extreme heat and the urban heat island effect," the organizations said.
January 2025 Updates
December 2024 Updates
- Partnership - IT Services: Silverfern IT and HFM are partnering to help a Western Australia government agency -- known as the Department of Water, Environmental and Regulation (DWER) -- to address various sustainability goals, according to Australia Reseller News (ARN). The effort involves the IBM Envizi ESG platform.
- 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.
More: Continue to the next page for additional IBM sustainability news and milestones.
