Can AI be applied for Sustainability? It’s complicated… with Jeremy Tamanini | #78
May 5, 2026
Is AI genuinely helping us build a more sustainable world — or are we papering over inconvenient trade-offs with a shiny new tool?
On today's episode of Green IO, Gaël is joined by Jeremy Tamanini, a researcher and consultant who has spent years investigating applied AI for sustainability use cases. Jeremy brings a refreshingly grounded perspective to one of the most hyped conversations in tech: can AI actually move the needle on environmental and social outcomes, or does the framing of "AI for good" obscure more than it reveals?
Together, Gaël and Jeremy resist the temptation of easy answers. Rather than cheerleading or catastrophising, they dig into concrete examples — from carbon accounting platforms embedding AI to cut compliance workloads, to satellite imagery married with machine learning to illuminate Scope 3 emissions that would otherwise remain invisible. The conversation is a careful, honest attempt to map where the evidence points, where it is still missing, and why that distinction matters enormously.
Is AI genuinely helping us build a more sustainable world — or are we papering over inconvenient trade-offs with a shiny new tool?
On today's episode of Green IO, Gaël is joined by Jeremy Tamanini, a researcher and consultant who has spent years investigating applied AI for sustainability use cases. Jeremy brings a refreshingly grounded perspective to one of the most hyped conversations in tech: can AI actually move the needle on environmental and social outcomes, or does the framing of "AI for good" obscure more than it reveals?
Together, Gaël and Jeremy resist the temptation of easy answers. Rather than cheerleading or catastrophising, they dig into concrete examples — from carbon accounting platforms embedding AI to cut compliance workloads, to satellite imagery married with machine learning to illuminate Scope 3 emissions that would otherwise remain invisible. The conversation is a careful, honest attempt to map where the evidence points, where it is still missing, and why that distinction matters enormously.
During this conversation, Gaël and Jeremy also talk about:
- Why "AI" is not one thing — and why conflating large language models with targeted machine learning applications muddies the entire sustainability debate
- The risk that AI-driven efficiency gains in sustainability teams lead not to bolder climate ambition but simply to leaner headcounts
- How satellite-based computer vision is beginning to fill in Scope 3 blind spots and improve the integrity of carbon credits — and what the GHG Protocol update may mean for its acceptance by auditors
- The troubling absence of transparent cost-benefit data on the "positive" side of the ledger, and why enterprises are rarely tracking applied AI outcomes as a distinct line item
- The cultural and organisational barriers to responsible AI piloting — including the pressure to deploy LLMs reflexively rather than choosing the right tool for the right task
And much more.
❤️ Like and subscribe so that you never miss an episode.
🎁 Want to accurately measure your team’s environmental impact? Try ResilioDB for 90 days. Use code GREENIO26.
📣
📧 Each month our readers get carefully curated news on digital sustainability, packed with exclusive Green IO content. Subscribe to the Green IO newsletter: https://newsletter.greenio.tech
📣 Green IO next Conference is in New York on 13-14 May. Every Green IO listener can get a free ticket using the voucher GREENIOVIP. Redeem here. A small gift for your huge support. 🎁
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Connect with Jeremy Tamanini:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-tamanini-09a54a2
- Website: https://dualcitizeninc.com/about/
Connect with Gaël and Green IO:
- Green IO Website: https://greenio.tech
- Green IO Slack: https://greenio-podcast.slack.com
- Green IO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@greenio877
- Gaël's website: https://www.gaelduez.com
---
📧 You can also send us an email at contact@greenio.tech to share your feedback and suggest future guests or topics
On today's episode of Green IO, Gaël is joined by Jeremy Tamanini, a researcher and consultant who has spent years investigating applied AI for sustainability use cases. Jeremy brings a refreshingly grounded perspective to one of the most hyped conversations in tech: can AI actually move the needle on environmental and social outcomes, or does the framing of "AI for good" obscure more than it reveals?
Together, Gaël and Jeremy resist the temptation of easy answers. Rather than cheerleading or catastrophising, they dig into concrete examples — from carbon accounting platforms embedding AI to cut compliance workloads, to satellite imagery married with machine learning to illuminate Scope 3 emissions that would otherwise remain invisible. The conversation is a careful, honest attempt to map where the evidence points, where it is still missing, and why that distinction matters enormously.
During this conversation, Gaël and Jeremy also talk about:
- Why "AI" is not one thing — and why conflating large language models with targeted machine learning applications muddies the entire sustainability debate
- The risk that AI-driven efficiency gains in sustainability teams lead not to bolder climate ambition but simply to leaner headcounts
- How satellite-based computer vision is beginning to fill in Scope 3 blind spots and improve the integrity of carbon credits — and what the GHG Protocol update may mean for its acceptance by auditors
- The troubling absence of transparent cost-benefit data on the "positive" side of the ledger, and why enterprises are rarely tracking applied AI outcomes as a distinct line item
- The cultural and organisational barriers to responsible AI piloting — including the pressure to deploy LLMs reflexively rather than choosing the right tool for the right task
And much more.
❤️ Like and subscribe so that you never miss an episode.
🎁 Want to accurately measure your team’s environmental impact? Try ResilioDB for 90 days. Use code GREENIO26.
📣
📧 Each month our readers get carefully curated news on digital sustainability, packed with exclusive Green IO content. Subscribe to the Green IO newsletter: https://newsletter.greenio.tech
📣 Green IO next Conference is in New York on 13-14 May. Every Green IO listener can get a free ticket using the voucher GREENIOVIP. Redeem here. A small gift for your huge support. 🎁
---
Connect with Jeremy Tamanini:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-tamanini-09a54a2
- Website: https://dualcitizeninc.com/about/
Connect with Gaël and Green IO:
- Green IO Website: https://greenio.tech
- Green IO Slack: https://greenio-podcast.slack.com
- Green IO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@greenio877
- Gaël's website: https://www.gaelduez.com
---
📧 You can also send us an email at contact@greenio.tech to share your feedback and suggest future guests or topics