Climate factor AI: Majority of companies expect CO₂ savings
- 84 per cent see AI as an opportunity for greater sustainability and climate protection but high electricity consumption remains a problem
- For almost 6 out of 10 companies, climate protection has gained importance in 2025
- Doing without printouts, video calls instead of business travel, refurbished IT how the German economy is becoming more sustainable
Artificial intelligence is expected to develop into a central factor for greater climate protection in the German economy yet there are significant concerns regarding the high energy consumption of AI models. Currently, two thirds of companies in Germany (67 per cent) expect AI to contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions. More than half (52 per cent) assume that AI will enable new, climate-friendly business models. And 84 per cent of companies see AI as an opportunity for climate protection and sustainability. These are the results of a representative survey of more than 600 companies in Germany with at least 20 employees.
This contrasts with the high energy consumption of AI, particularly in model development, which 83 per cent regard as problematic. Almost as many (82 per cent) warn that companies should always keep sustainability in mind when using AI. “AI opens up enormous potential for greater climate protection for the economy from intelligent control of buildings and production facilities to optimised logistics and more precise forecasting of weather and climate risks,” says Bitkom Vice President Christina Raab. “It is important that AI is developed and operated responsibly: with efficient AI models, energy-optimised data centres and the consistent use of waste heat. If we create these conditions, AI can become one of the most effective levers to strengthen sustainability and competitiveness at the same time.”
Expectations of AI therefore extend well beyond its concrete use within companies: 85 per cent believe that AI will help to predict climate risks more accurately. 48 per cent share the view that humanity will only be able to solve its climate problems with the help of AI.
90 per cent see digitalisation as an opportunity for sustainability and climate protection
Beyond AI, digitalisation also plays a central role in climate protection and competitiveness. Overall, 90 per cent of companies see digital technologies as an opportunity for greater sustainability. For 57 per cent, the issues of climate protection and sustainability have even gained importance in 2025 even though recent public debate has tended to suggest the opposite. At the same time, 61 per cent report that climate change is already having slight (43 per cent) or significant impacts (18 per cent) on their business activities today. A further 36 per cent fear this for the future.
Two thirds (65 per cent) of companies in Germany already pursue their own sustainability strategy: 30 per cent have a strategy for the entire company, 35 per cent for individual areas and 33 per cent are in the planning stage. Only 2 per cent currently have no strategy and are not planning one. Within existing strategies, digital technologies play a central role virtually no company manages without digitalisation. Nine out of ten companies (89 per cent) with a comprehensive or partial strategy assign digital applications great or very great importance, with a further 9 per cent assigning at least some importance. “To achieve climate targets while remaining competitive, companies must significantly increase their energy and resource efficiency and this can only be achieved with digital technologies,” emphasises Raab. “Whether in production, buildings or logistics, digitalisation makes processes measurable, controllable and significantly more efficient, becoming a decisive factor for sustainable economic activity.”
6 out of 10 largely dispense with paper
In practice, many companies are already implementing concrete digital measures to save energy and operate more sustainably. The most widespread measures are largely dispensing with paper and purchasing energy-efficient hardware each adopted by 59 per cent of companies. 54 per cent rely on video conferences instead of business travel, and 47 per cent take sustainability criteria into account when purchasing digital products and services. Working models also contribute to reducing emissions: 44 per cent allow the private use of company devices to save resources, and 40 per cent enable home working where possible. CO₂ emissions are already fully or partially offset by 41 per cent. CO₂ offsetting usually takes place through the purchase of offset certificates confirming that a corresponding amount of CO₂ is bound elsewhere through climate protection projects.
In addition, companies are increasingly investing in digital solutions to directly reduce energy consumption. Already, 57 per cent use at least one of these common digital efficiency measures most frequently intelligent lighting (37 per cent), followed by smart heating control (21 per cent), digital consumption analyses such as electricity or heating cost apps (20 per cent), and intelligent air conditioning (16 per cent). Energy management systems (13 per cent) and digital load management (8 per cent), meaning the automated control and distribution of electricity loads to avoid peak consumption, are somewhat less widespread. At the same time, 78 per cent of companies fundamentally see the potential of digital technologies to significantly reduce their own energy consumption. Raab says: “In many companies, digital technologies are already making a measurable contribution to greater energy efficiency and climate protection. From smart building technology and digital consumption analyses to intelligent load control wherever processes are digitalised, costs and CO₂ emissions can fall. Without exception, all companies are examining how they can make use of this potential.”
Not all companies have yet managed to get started with digital efficiency measures. Where no such solutions are currently in use, companies mainly cite a lack of financial resources (38 per cent), limited investment opportunities in rented buildings (37 per cent) or high administrative burdens (31 per cent) as the main obstacles. Almost one in six companies (18 per cent) point to a lack of personnel resources, and one in four (25 per cent) state that other issues currently take priority.
93 per cent see a competitive advantage through sustainable technologies
Companies are increasingly directly linking sustainability, digitalisation and competitiveness. 93 per cent are convinced that businesses investing in sustainable technologies will have a long-term advantage. Likewise, 74 per cent state that digital technologies help their company to reduce resource consumption. Skills development is also coming into focus: 90 per cent of companies are in favour of anchoring climate and sustainability issues more firmly in the training of IT specialists. “Digital technologies not only increase energy and resource efficiency, they also strengthen competitiveness and do so sustainably,” Raab emphasises.
Refurbished IT is only slowly gaining ground in the economy
Another lever for greater sustainability in companies is the use of refurbished IT, i.e. reconditioned hardware. So far, businesses remain cautious in this area: 60 per cent of companies have not yet considered using second-hand devices or have not thought about it, while a further 21 per cent are considering it but do not currently use refurbished IT. Only 10 per cent already use refurbished devices in individual cases, and 6 per cent use them in many areas. However, many companies fundamentally see potential if the framework conditions are right: 82 per cent of those not yet using refurbished IT would do so if sufficiently long warranties or guarantees were provided, 80 per cent if long-term provision of software updates were ensured, and 70 per cent if tax or financial incentives were associated with it. 55 per cent would consider using refurbished IT if the CO₂ savings could be shown in the sustainability report. Only five per cent would under no circumstances use refurbished IT in their company.
Expectations of refurbished devices are high: 76 per cent are convinced that refurbished IT makes an important contribution to saving resources and raw materials, 69 per cent believe that as many companies as possible should examine its use, and 52 per cent see refurbished IT as an important future topic. “We should generate less electronic waste in Germany and Europe. With refurbished IT, companies reduce the volumes of electronic waste, improve their environmental footprint and save money at the same time,” says Bitkom Vice President Christina Raab.
Expectations of policymakers: less bureaucracy, stronger expansion of renewable energy
For the interaction between digitalisation and sustainability to work better, companies also see policymakers as having a responsibility. At the top of the priority list are the reduction of bureaucratic and regulatory requirements (92 per cent) and the expansion of renewable energy (89 per cent). In addition, many companies want financial incentives for investments in digital sustainability technologies (72 per cent), more information and advisory services (71 per cent), and stronger support for research (65 per cent). Also considered important are more consistent consideration of digital technologies in environmental and climate policy (61 per cent) and more sustainable public procurement of IT services and devices (51 per cent). Raab says: “When companies use green technologies, save energy and reduce CO₂ emissions, this not only strengthens climate protection but also Germany’s economic and digital sovereignty. Less dependence on fossil imports and greater domestic digital expertise will make Germany and Europe more resilient in the long term.”
From Bitkom’s perspective, circular economy should be comprehensively strengthened with a view to 2026 for example through the promotion of refurbished IT, reconditioned spare parts and product-as-a-service models, as well as tax incentives such as lower VAT rates on repairs and spare parts. Furthermore, digital technologies should be systematically anchored as a key to the circular economy, for example through the promotion of sustainable AI applications, energy-efficient algorithms, green hardware and the widespread use of renewable energy. Finally, the public sector should align its procurement more strongly with sustainable and circular products and services in order to send market signals and accelerate innovation. Bitkom Vice President Raab: “2026 can become a decisive year for setting the right course: if it succeeds in reducing bureaucracy, facilitating investment and using digitalisation specifically for climate protection and the circular economy, Germany can strengthen its competitiveness and achieve its climate targets in the medium term.”
