How EY uses AI to take on climate change
Top projects from the Call for Code EY Sustainability Challenge
EY is a leader in providing strategy and consulting advice on sustainability to clients across the globe. So it’s no surprise that the Call for Code EY Sustainability Challenge yielded some inspirational approaches to climate action.
Over 400 EY employees participated in the challenge which included panel discussions, tech sessions and finally judging of submissions. The best solutions applied IBM technology to a range of issues from recycling and and reducing consumer waste, to deforestation and destruction of biodiversity.
The top projects:
Biodiversity Dashboard for Reforestation Projects
Investing in biodiversity protection is a growing area and one with increasing need as climate change puts increasing pressure on natural habitats. This team from UK, India and Mongolia built an AI-powered dashboard that uses machine learning to process various data sources including satellite images, acoustic sensors, and camera traps, building a picture of what species are in a given region. This helps investors, governments and NGOs know which areas to focus on as well as monitor progress.
Check out the team presentation:
DIVERSAVVY
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plays a big role in creating a sustainable future, with the need to make sure that all communities have a say on how we build our collective future. This team from India used AI from IBM Watson to build a picture of the DEI performance of an organization that can be shared with consumers, potential new-hires or even for the organization itself to see how it stacks up against similar businesses.
Check out the team presentation:
Supply Chain Cognitive
One issue for manufacturers is knowing how sustainable are the components and elements further down a supply chain that they incorporate into their products. Tracking sustainability of a product which may have components from multiple organizations is no easy feat. Afreen Aman from India is the talent behind Supply Chain Cognitive, which uses AI and Natural Language Understanding to build a picture of organizations based on news data and their sustainability reports. This helps manufacturers understand the credentials of all those involved in their supply chain.
Check out the presentation:
These projects and others in the Call for Code EY Sustainability Challenge show the pivotal role technology can play in creating climate action solutions. As Amy Brachio, EY Global Deputy Vice Chair for Sustainability says:
“We are pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in this year’s IBM Call for Code Challenge and set goals for 2023. Our participation recognizes the power of our relationship with IBM and EY’s contribution to offer real solutions to society’s most pressing sustainability needs. Congratulations to all participants and finalists!”
