Deloitte, Google Cloud Partnership Taps Generative AI, Geospatial Data for Customer Sustainability Projects

Deloitte and Google Cloud are partnering to offer generative AI and geospatial data applications designed to help customers address sustainability, climate risks and net-zero carbon emission strategies, the two companies said.

Key developments include Deloitte's Electrified Fleet solution -- which runs on Google Cloud to help customers shift to electric vehicle (EV) fleets. Early adopters include Purolator, a freight, package and logistics solutions provider in Ontario, Canada.

In a prepared statement about the solution, Purolator Director and Head of Corporate Sustainability Cindy Bailey said: "Deloitte's Electrified Fleet solution has been a tremendous asset to Purolator as we identify ways to reduce our emissions in the near-term and fuel our long-term success by contributing to a better and more sustainable tomorrow."

Purolator is on track to meet its emissions reduction goals and electrify 60% of its last-mile delivery vehicles by 2030, the logistics company said.

In the financial services sector, Deloitte is leveraging Google Earth Engine to help investment firms understand climate risks in their portfolios, the global IT consulting firm said. Key adopters include National Westminster Bank (NatWest). The United Kingdom-based bank leverages geospatial data to "capture climate-related data points across its commercial banking portfolio — with the first use-case focused on agriculture customers," Deloitte said.

Deloitte and Google Cloud: Six Sustainability Focus Areas, Executive Perspectives

Deloitte and Google Cloud also plan to assist customers in these six areas, the companies said:

1. Transitioning to zero emission energy sources;
2. tapping into sustainable capital markets;
3. scaling sustainable products and services;
4. accelerating regenerative agriculture;
5. decarbonizing digital business models; and
6. building sustainable and equitable communities.

In a prepared statement about the partnership, Jamie Sawchuk, partner and global sustainability leader for the Alphabet Google alliance, Deloitte Canada, said: "We are excited to be working with Google to take purposeful action to help mitigate climate risks, unlock the value of sustainable products and services, build green communities and green jobs and accelerate our progress toward a global net-zero future."

Added Justin Keeble, managing director for global sustainability, Google Cloud: "Through this program, Deloitte and Google Cloud can leverage our unique roles to help bolster the momentum to address climate change with cloud-based technologies and AI. We're eager to work alongside Deloitte and our clients to accelerate action on climate in this urgent decade of delivery."

Deloitte Sustainability Solutions and Green IT Consulting Services

Meanwhile, Deloitte has rapidly expanded its sustainability solutions, green IT consulting services and associated partnerships with multiple companies. Examples include:

• April 2023: Partnered with ESG software company Workiva.
• March 2023: Partnered with Circulor to give industrial customers deeper visibility and traceability into their supply chains.
• March 2023: Developed GreenLight Solution, a SaaS-based application for enterprise decarbonization.
• February 2023: Joined the AT&T Connected Climate Initiative (CCI), which promotes connectivity-based solutions in a bid to “reduce greenhouse emissions by 1 gigaton by 2035,” the companies said.
• January 2023: Added a “sustainable delivery” clause – known as Clause Zero – in customer engagement letters and contracts starting in 2023, the global IT consulting firm said.
• Also of note: Unveiled GreenSpace Tech, an initiative spearheaded by entrepreneurs and climate specialists to scale climate technology solutions, the company said.

Google Cloud Ready Expands From Software Companies to Systems Integrators

As part of the Google relationship, Deloitte is the first global systems integrator to earn the Google Cloud Ready (GCR) – Sustainability designation. Google launched the designation June 2022. Early partners in that ecosystem include Aclima, Airbus, Atlas AI, BlueSky Resources, CARTO,Climate Engine, Electricity Maps, FlexiDAO, Geotab, LevelTen Energy, NGIS, Planet Labs PBC, Ren, Sidewalk Labs, Tomorrow.io, UP42, Watershed and Woza.

To earn the Google Cloud Ready - Sustainability designation, the search giant says partner solutions must:

• Be available on Google Cloud;
• address ESG risk, and assist customers in achieving ESG targets and/or support typical ESG goal frameworks, such as the United Nations’ SDGs;
• demonstrate repeatability;
• meet minimum Google Cloud application development best practices, including security, performance, scalability, availability, and carbon footprint reporting for available services;
• have Google Cloud Carbon Footprint Reporting enabled; and
• have at least one public customer case study available. 

Google Cloud Next 2023 Conference: More Partnerships Coming

The Deloitte relationship surfaced a few days before Google Cloud Next 2023 -- a partner and customer conference that includes at least 20 sessions focused on sustainability strategies for customers and partners. Among the key companies to watch at the conference: Hitachi Energy, which runs its energy transition applications on Google Cloud.

Within its own business, Google is striving to achieve net zero emissions across all operations and value chain by 2030. At the same time, Google Cloud's goal is to run on carbon-free energy, 24/7, across all data centers by 2030.

Google's cloud rivals have also launched various sustainability initiatives. Examples include:

• Microsoft Sustainability Manager, Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability and that company's overall sustainability strategy.
• AWS for Industrial and the overall Amazon sustainability strategy.

We'll be watching the Google Cloud Next 2023 conference for additional sustainability partnership announcements.