What will happen in tech-driven sustainability in 2025?
2025 sits at a crossroads of tech and sustainability, and our next moves will influence the world for generations to come. Increased AI adoption, broader mandatory disclosure requirements and the increasing presence of EVs will be key moments in the coming year.
2025 is a year to reflect on a quarter-century passed and look forward to how technology and sustainability will influence the decades to come
Investment in AI for the greater good will put the company's impact on a positive trajectory
Mandatory climate reporting will reach more companies in more regions and influence investments in data capture
Finally, the manufacturing and use of Electric Vehicles will reach a tipping point in 2025 where sustainability is the standard, not the exception
2025 marks a quarter way through this century and a crossroads for the future as we know it. Sitting at the nexus of technology and sustainability, 2025 will be a defining moment in building a sustainable, equitable world for generations to come.
For technology leaders influencing those outcomes, looking at technology in its broader context and its potential to impact the planet is critical. Building momentum in existing, positive innovations and using tech to solve humanity's biggest challenges will shape a year of hope and change.
2025 certainties
Embracing AI, broadening investments in innovation and adapting to climate uncertainty will be headline tasks for enterprise companies in 2025. Mandatory reporting will reach more sectors and influence the momentum of these tasks. Finally, a proliferation in the manufacturing and use of EVs will impact the broader manufacturing and logistics sectors.
AI solves its own challenges
It's no secret that AI is energy and resource-hungry. It is predicted that, without intervention, AI infrastructure will consume six times more water than the entire population of Denmark.3 To address this, the Singtel Group measures water usage effectiveness in proprietary data centres through 44 water metres in 11 locations that monitor water usage and identify potential leaks. In the future, alongside IoT technologies, AI will be able to identify these leaks before they occur and proactively repair or halt supply to preserve this precious resource.
AI is also being used to conserve energy, which reduces the impact of the energy it needs to operate. At Singtel’s mobile base stations, the Cell Sleep Mode function enables cell transmitters to be switched off during low-traffic conditions. Parameters are learned by analysing customers' usage and mobility patterns. These patterns make an annual average energy saving of 5%.
The broader adoption of AI will enable both human and machine intelligence to identify solutions to climate challenges. Singtel’s RE:AI is making that a reality. The new AI Cloud Service gives affordable access to AI technologies and aims to democratise access to innovation. With more diverse perspectives on deploying AI, there will be more pathways to climate solutions. This is proving essential as the nature of the challenge requires all hands on deck.
Mandatory reporting
Mandatory reporting is estimated to cover 40% of the global economy when all planned disclosures are in place.1 2025 will see an increasing number of companies subject to these requirements as well as a growth in commitments to voluntary reporting.
The risk of compliance failure and reputational damage will put significant pressure on the teams gathering the data for these reports. So, companies must be confident that data shows an accurate, real-time view of GHG emissions, ecosystem protection and circular economy practices.
Energy efficiency will also be thrown into the spotlight, particularly for tech-enabled companies, as ICT assets now represent 4% of total electricity consumption.2
The use of solutions to solve multiple layers of these challenges will rise alongside broadening mandatory disclosures. Energy-efficient networks such as Singtel 5G and resource management tools such as Empower Portal will be used to channel data traffic through greener infrastructures, in turn making a material impact on scope 2 and 3 emissions to achieve compliance faster than traditional methods.
Proliferation of EVs
Finally, 2025 will see the end of fossil fuel vehicle sales and the rise of EVs in early-adopting countries such as Norway, South Korea, Germany and Singapore.
China has already achieved its target of 20% EV adoption and looks set to reach 50% adoption many years before the initial prediction.4 This is partly due to the sector's partnership with technology companies to advance manufacturing practices and partly to consumer hunger for a more sustainable product.
These partnerships have resulted in technologies that have enabled EVs to become mainstream, such as autonomous driving, custom vehicle operating systems and AR in manufacturing. Beyond 2025, technologies supporting this shift will also proliferate with IoT, AI and data analytics platforms enabling more connected vehicles.
The corporate role in a positive future
The growth in ‘double materiality’ shows an increasing awareness of the impact that corporations have on the planet and communities. What’s more, companies leading with positive corporate impact are seeing better brand perception and increasing investments which result in reduced capital costs and an improvement in the company’s valuation.5
Adopting AI for positive corporate impact, extending data collection beyond mandatory reporting and building partnerships with technology companies will see an acceleration of positive corporate impact in 2025.
Are you ready for tech-driven sustainability?
References:
World Resources Institute, Corporate climate disclosure has passed a tipping point. Companies need to catch up, 2024
Science Direct, ICT sector electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, 2024
UN Environment Programme, AI has an environmental problem. Here’s what the world can do about that, 2024
IEA, Trends in electric light-duty vehicles, 2023
Harvard Business Review, Social-Impact Efforts That Create Real Value, 2020
Related articles
Raising the digital economy standard across regions — The APAC region is growing rapidly and is expected to generate 50% of the world’s GDP by 2040. Part of that success is down to the investment and uptake of digital transformation. Let's look at more factors that achieve digitally-enabled growth:/business/insights/raising-the-digital-economy-standard-across-regions
How to capture trustworthy data for ESG analysis — When it comes to data gathering for ESG, no stone should be left unturned. Operations, hiring practices, and vendor relationships are just a few of the diverse metrics that must be captured, centralised, and analysed. Let’s explore how data plays a pivotal role in ESG reporting and sustainability objectives./business/insights/how-to-capture-trustworthy-data-for-esg-analysis
AI’s green future: Balancing innovation and the environment — AI is paving the way for a sustainable future by improving efficiency and reducing waste. However, its growing adoption has a detrimental environmental impact, increasing not only energy consumption but also resource strain during development and disposal. As AI becomes integral to business operations, balancing innovation with environmental responsibility is vital. Read our eBook to explore how enterprises can navigate AI's green future responsibly./business/insights/ais-green-future-balancing-innovation-and-the-environment
Discover more insights
Rewilding cities through tech-driven sustainability — Cities drive biodiversity loss, but technology can help reverse it. Explore how AI, 5G, and edge computing are enabling nature-positive urban planning - from real-time biodiversity mapping to predictive green corridor design. With real-world examples, we look at how connected technologies can make cities more resilient, equitable, and aligned with global sustainability goals like SDG 11./business/insights/rewilding-cities-through-tech-driven-sustainability
Telcos are the lifeline in a warming world — As climate extremes intensify, resilient networks are lifelines. They carry emergency calls, safeguard economies, and enable recovery. By investing in resilient, sustainable
infrastructure today, telcos help protect lives, businesses, and communities in tomorrow’s hotter, riskier world./business/insights/telcos-are-the-lifeline-in-a-warming-world
Turning network energy consumption into enterprise resilience — Energy has become a defining constraint for digital growth. As networks carry heavier workloads and power costs rise, resilience now depends on infrastructure that manages energy with the same intelligence it applies to connectivity. Explore how optimisation at the Radio Access Network (RAN) and core layers can turn consumption into a strategic advantage./business/insights/turning-network-energy-consumption-into-enterprise-resilience
Why speed matters for decarbonisation — Decarbonisation is increasingly shaped by real-time decisions at the operational edge. As enterprises rely on richer data and automation, the speed at which insight becomes action defines sustainability performance. Explore how low-latency networks and edge intelligence help organisations translate milliseconds into measurable progress across energy, logistics, and asset operations./business/insights/why-speed-matters-for-decarbonisation
When supply chains start speaking, decisions get smarter — Logistics is entering a new era where agentic AI can help turn complex sustainability data into clearer, more conversational insights, enabling teams to act with greater speed and confidence. By combining generative and operational AI, companies can evolve from basic automation towards more dynamic, real-time decision support. With Singtel’s 5G+ connectivity providing high-performance, reliable data exchange, supply chains can operate with improved intelligence and responsiveness./business/insights/when-supply-chains-start-speaking-decisions-get-smarter
Advancing a circular future starts with smarter connectivity — As enterprises race to modernise, the real opportunity lies in building circular networks that conserve resources while sustaining performance. Technologies like 5G, virtualisation, and digital twins are turning connectivity itself into a regenerative system. Through initiatives spanning device recovery, digital dematerialisation, and supplier engagement, Singtel demonstrates how sustainability can be engineered into connectivity to create networks that are future-ready./business/insights/advancing-a-circular-future-starts-with-smarter-connectivity
