How AI is powering growth and a sustainable future

Google Cloud Next '25 put the spotlight on the critical intersection of technology and sustainability. The message was clear: As the world faces rising energy demand, aging infrastructure, climate challenges, and the drive for innovation, artificial intelligence is not just a tool but a foundational catalyst for transformation and sustainable growth. 

Sessions across the event highlighted the work we’re doing to provide leaders with the advanced data management, AI and generative AI, security, and infrastructure technologies needed to navigate sustainability while optimizing operations. We are focused on helping customers harness AI to drive impact through the smarter use of data and AI, building resilience, cutting costs and unlocking new sources of growth.

Key sessions and customer innovations

Next '25 showcased how AI and robust data management are driving efficiency while prioritizing sustainability.  

• Building the tools for valuable business insights from sustainability data: This session highlighted the critical business drivers for environmental, social and governance data and explored the technical architecture of a robust management solution. Attendees learned how to integrate AI and data agents with systems like SAP and Cortex, and incorporate third-party data from sources like ESG Book for enhanced decision-making. Real-world examples showcased the integration of Google Cloud with platforms like Watershed to build a complete ESG data ecosystem, emphasizing the need for a strong data infrastructure to gain actionable insights and maintain a competitive edge in today's business climate.

• Launch of LEO ESG data platform for banks: We launched a new platform designed specifically for banks and their customers to easily manage sustainability data reporting. Developed in collaboration with ESG Book and BCG, LEO has already been adopted by major banks like NatWest, Lloyds, and ING, who are supporting its launch.

• Geospatial Analytics category launch: We launched a new category of geospatial datasets and tools that includes Earth Engine in BigQuery (available in Public Preview): A new BigQuery geospatial function and a growing catalog of 20 new analysis-ready datasets derived from satellite imagery available in BigQuery Sharing enabling organizations to derive environmental insights, such as wildfire risk or deforestation, for a specified area of interest.

• Optimizing for a better future: How generative AI is revolutionizing industries and protecting our environment: In this session, Google experts discussed how AI models are solving business and environmental challenges, including water health detection via satellite imagery and how AI agents are transforming the shipping industry's contract decisions to reduce idle time. The session highlighted the competitive edge gained from these cutting-edge AI advancements and practical examples from Google Cloud customers, Stena Bulk and the Northumbrian Water Group.

• Building the future of AI: Intelligent infrastructure and sustainable energy: This breakout session explored how the explosive growth of AI demands a fundamental shift in how we build and power its underlying infrastructure. Google Fellows Urs Hölzle and Parthasarathy Ranganathan covered the immense opportunities and challenges of scaling AI, emphasizing the inseparable link between the powerful hardware needed for massive models and the sustainable, reliable energy required to run it.

Experiencing the future: Demos and announcements

On top of these standout sessions, we gave attendees a glimpse of what’s possible in the Google Cloud Showcase and shared exciting the latest exciting announcements, including: 

• Weather forecasting reimagined: AI and beyond: Attendees explored using WeatherNext AI forecasts, powered by BigQuery and Earth Engine, discovered new ways to enhance their apps or products with Google Maps, and learned about weather use cases and solutions.

• Energy companies and energy solution providers are partnering with Google Cloud to drive AI-powered energy solutions to become smarter and more efficient.

• Finally, the Google Cloud Carbon Footprint tool was highlighted in demos for customers to help them measure, report, and reduce their emissions on Google Cloud Platform

The road ahead

Google Cloud Next '25 firmly positioned AI as indispensable for sustainable evolution across industries, underscoring that achieving sustainability goals requires embracing advanced data analytics, AI, secure cloud infrastructure, and collaborative innovation. At Google Cloud, we are committed to being a key partner in actively enabling organizations worldwide — from providing the sustainable infrastructure needed to power AI growth to deploying the latest tools and technologies that help foster innovation in a more sustainable future.