The Power of AI in Driving Sustainability: A Conversation with Hari Nair, CEO of Zuno Carbon

The hype around ESG might have quietened down but its operational element continues to wield significant influence. In a recent conversation with Hari Nair, CEO of Zuno Carbon, we discussed regulation, personal motivations and the power of AI in driving sustainability.

Zuno Carbon is an end-to-end carbon management solution that helps organizations measure, report, and reduce emissions by integrating across their business value chain to collect activity data. Over the past five years, Zuno Carbon has established itself as a trusted partner for both large enterprises and SMEs. While the platform helps streamline processes and manage complex ESG and GHG workflows for bigger firms, the platform is also user-friendly for SMEs, recognising their critical role in data acquisition down the supply chain. To further support these smaller businesses, Zuno Carbon also assists in obtaining government grants in Singapore and Malaysia.

Regulation as the Key Driver of Sustainability Reporting

According to Hari, regulation has been the main driver for sustainability reporting over the last 3 years. In Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and the Philippines, the governments and listing entities are driving the adoption of sustainability reporting. Beyond regulatory pressure, investor demand—particularly from sovereign wealth funds and private equity firms—has compelled portfolio companies to commit to net-zero goals. Green finance programs from banks further incentivise businesses to demonstrate compliance through data-backed progress reports. Lastly, while consumer demand remains a minor but important factor, companies that make unsubstantiated sustainability claims are facing increasing scrutiny.

Keeping on Par with Constant Regulatory Changes

A major challenge in carbon accounting is converting activity data into accurate emissions calculations. Each year, new databases emerge, often incorporating more precise or location-specific data. In Singapore, the government has established a consortium to streamline this process, and Zuno Carbon is actively involved. Hari shared that keeping up with regulatory changes is complex, as updates can emerge through multiple channels, but the reporting landscape is becoming more structured. Many reporting frameworks now directly communicate changes to Zuno Carbon, making it easier for companies to stay compliant through their platform.

The Role of AI in Sustainability

Hari highlighted the two main applications for AI in carbon management. Firstly, for managing emissions factors – the technology is able to retrieve the best emission factors by looking at the company assets and business model. Secondly, AI facilitates the conversion of analog data into digital formats, streamlining sustainability reporting and optimisation forecasts.

Zuno Carbon’s expertise in harnessing AI has led to tangible success stories. One of their clients, a chemical manufacturing company in Malaysia that runs natural gas turbines, was able to lower their overall emissions by a whopping 25% with the help of their software. The AI identified anomalies in emissions patterns, which upon analysis by the Zuno Carbon team, revealed a misconfigured sensor setting. Without AI, such inefficiencies might have remained undetected, showcasing the technology’s potential to drive real, measurable sustainability improvements.

Personal Motivations and Future Trends

On a more personal note, Hari shared that his passion for the planet combined with his love for building impactful solutions keep him motivated. Having developed a product that genuinely helps businesses navigate sustainability challenges, he takes pride in Zuno Carbon’s role in the industry.

Looking ahead, Hari predicts that as more countries acknowledge how far behind they are on their net-zero targets, we could be seeing stricter fines and taxes being imposed. He also sees mature companies moving beyond just financial targets and embedding sustainability metrics into their organisational frameworks. Environmental and social targets are now influencing employee bonuses and are becoming integral to operational processes. This shift highlights the growing importance of sustainability in business performance assessments.

Zuno Carbon stands at the intersection of technology and sustainability, demonstrating that AI is not just a tool but a transformative force in the fight against climate change. But knowing how to contextualise and harness it the right way, makes all the difference.