2025 has been a year in which business leaders have reassessed priorities in response to shifting geopolitical and trade dynamics. While Net Zero has been less prominent in corporate communications, supply chain resilience, the rise of AI, and cost reduction have dominated.
This raises a critical question: has climate change slipped out of the corporate consciousness?
The evidence suggests not. According to Bain, one in four major companies is moving away from suppliers with weak sustainability credentials. At the same time, many are leveraging AI not only to address sustainability challenges but also to deliver measurable financial upside.
AI as a Catalyst for Growth
Artificial Intelligence is becoming a critical enabler of profitable sustainability. Its applications range from:
- Optimising energy use in real time, reducing both emissions and costs
- Enhancing supply chain visibility to minimise waste and improve resilience
- Supporting circular economy practices by identifying materials for reuse or recycling at scale
This is reframing sustainability from being seen as a “cost” to being recognised as a driver of growth and competitive advantage.
Sustainability as a Growth Driver
Practical measures, such as installing efficient lighting, switching off idle equipment and recycling plastics into packaging, can immediately improve margins. When combined with AI, these initiatives can scale more rapidly and deliver outsized results.
However, the greatest impact arises when organisations empower motivated employees to lead initiatives and deploy tools such as AI to amplify their efforts. Success quickly becomes self-reinforcing, embedding sustainability across the workforce.
Closing the Gap
Despite this potential, Bain notes that only 3% of climate-related capital expenditure is currently linked directly to resilience. This highlights the significant opportunity for companies willing to invest more strategically.
NovAzure’s Perspective
At NovAzure, we partner with corporates and scale-ups to align sustainability and circularity with growth strategies. By integrating AI-driven insights with refined go-to-market execution, we help businesses unlock new revenues and accelerate their transformation.
Embedding sustainability is not only a responsibility but a route to competitive advantage. With AI as a catalyst, the organisations that act decisively today will secure both profitability and resilience for the future.
