Smart systems, sustainable solutions: AI and the path to 2030

AI and the climate transition: Aligning capital, code and carbon 

AI could cut global carbon emissions by up to 5.4 billion tonnes a year by 2035 according to new peer-reviewed research co-authored by Systemiq and published in Nature journal npj Climate Action. And that reduction includes accounting for increased emissions from AI and data centres.  

The analysis, carried out by Systemiq Ltd. and the The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)'s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment, looked at key sectors such as energy, transport and food, which together account for around half of global emissions.

The conclusion: we have an unprecedented opportunity to leverage AI as a catalyst for the net-zero transition.  

AI can drive emissions reductions through five impact areas:  

• Making complex systems like power grids and transport networks more efficient  

• Accelerating clean tech innovation and resource use  

• Supporting behavioural shifts and smarter choices  

• Improving climate modelling and policymaking  

• Strengthening resilience to climate risks  

Together, these impact areas create a clear roadmap for how AI can support the shift to net zero. And as the sectors the paper explored are inter-connected, the research concludes that accelerating low-carbon solutions in these sectors could trigger tipping points across the wider economy. 

Governments, businesses and investors all have a role to play in making sure AI is steered toward real impact, so it was great to see Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Office at Google and Hannah Prior, PhD, Climate Resilience Lead at Microsoft both talk about this research during London Climate Action Week. Pilita Clark highlighted this research in the Financial Times, exploring how AI is a double-edged sword – capable of accelerating the clean energy transition or deepening fossil fuel dependence. The way forward involves fostering international collaboration to ensure that AI contributes to a sustainable future. 

▶️ Read the paper: Green and intelligent: the role of AI in the climate transition

▶️ Got a question? Get in touch with the team: Daniel Barraclough, Elizabeth Weirich Benet & Mattia Romani   

▶️ Share: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7342847477751988226  

AI and systems thinking are the future of urban development planning

Too many cities face the same challenge: fragmented planning that fails to meet the needs of people, the economy, and the environment. Disjointed infrastructure, underused land, and cities that are left vulnerable to climate and social pressures. 

Ahead of COP30 in Belém, Systemiq, in partnership with Aretian Urban Analytics and Design and NOA Airports, set out to change this – developing a regeneration strategy for Belém’s airport district that brings together AI, urban science and systems thinking. 

The result is a practical, future-ready plan that puts economic growth, climate goals, and social outcomes on equal footing. Our work focused on: 

• A diagnostic of 25 KPIs to understand how the area functions 

• A commercial and innovation strategy based on local strengths 

• A spatial plan to improve connections and unlock long-term value  

Our goal: a plan with lasting impact – economic, environmental, and social – well beyond COP30. 

The outcome is a clear growth strategy anchored in an 800,000m² mixed-use development designed to become a regional hub, delivering: 

• $1.1 billion in projected GDP uplift by 2035 

• 16,000+ new jobs 

• Better public services and spaces for local communities 

• Low-carbon, resilient infrastructure 

 This is how we believe cities should grow - joined up, locally grounded, and built to serve both people and planet. 

We’re excited to bring this approach to other cities. If you’re leading a similar journey – a development, a city, a region in transition – we’d love to connect. 

▶️ Read our blog: Building the Amazon’s future

▶️️ Got a question? Reach out to Amy Paterson & Michael Batley  

▶️️ Share: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7340655958836035584  

NEW BLOG: Tipping points are driving climate progress, and they’re closer than you think

New research from Systemiq and the Energy Transitions Commission shows that by 2030, technologies able to cut 40% of global emissions could reach tipping points – where growth becomes self-sustaining and unstoppable. 

But tipping points don't happen automatically. They happen when clean tech becomes more affordable, attractive and available than legacy options, with scale reinforced by smart feedback loops – as highlighted in our Breakthrough Effect report. 

This research was featured at Mission 2025’s flagship event at New Economy Rising at London Climate Action Week. 

▶️ Read the full blog: Breaking through: the decisive decade for climate technologies

▶️ Contact the blog authors: Maaike Witteveen & Mike Hemsley  

▶️ Share: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7344285027549020162  

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