In collaboration with Ecosystm, IBM released a new whitepaper, the "Sustainability Technology Guide for Executives," to empower business leaders in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region to leverage tech-business synergy to accelerate sustainable transformation.
Data challenges
The report reveals that only 21% of organisations in APAC have a strategic approach to sustainability, with data challenges topping the list of sustainability concerns.
The integration of automation and AI system data with enterprise data (48%), the need to collect data from multiple internal systems (45%) and identifying the correct data for reporting requirements (42%) are the top challenge faced by APAC organisations.
According to a recent study by IBM Institute for Business Value, only 40% of organisations can automatically source sustainability data from core systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), enterprise asset management, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), energy management, and facilities management.
IBM underscores the critical importance of transparent, verifiable, and audit-ready data across the value chain. These qualities are necessary for credibility, trust, and strong relationships with customers, investors, and key stakeholders.
Data-driven sustainability
"Asia Pacific organisations struggle to turn their sustainability agenda into a competitive business advantage, as incorporating sustainability data and insights into operational improvements requires high-quality data and robust governance capabilities that underpin trust. While generative AI can be a game changer for data-driven sustainability, leveraging the hybrid cloud to integrate data and facilitate interoperability across organisations is key to enabling sustainability at scale," said Hans Dekkers, general manager of IBM Asia Pacific.
"Organisations that embrace tech-led sustainability decisions can turn sustainability from a cost centre into a value driver, ensuring long-term business success while leaving a positive environmental legacy," said Sash Mukherjee, VP of Industry Insights, Ecosystm.
