Clarity AI Reveals Tech's Lead in Clean Energy Adoption

As the world marked the 55th Earth Day, a new report by Clarity AI shines a spotlight on how global corporations are integrating renewable energy – and where they're not.

The data exposes a widening divide shaped by geography, industry and infrastructure.

With AI and digital innovation reshaping sustainability metrics, the findings arrive at a crucial moment in the push for global decarbonisation.

Tech-led economies show clean energy momentum

The analysis, which draws on data from MSCI ACWI-listed companies between 2020 and 2025, points to distinct regional leaders.

Brazil emerges as a top performer, with companies tripling their renewable energy share, from 19% in 2020 to 51% in 2024.

Spain, meanwhile, outpaces others in absolute use, with nearly 60% of its corporate energy consumption now derived from renewables.

This 20-point gain over four years signals a steady and growing commitment.

The United States shows slower progress.

Corporate renewable use now stands at 29%, a figure that is climbing but not at the pace required to meet international targets.

Clarity AI notes that while the trajectory is positive, it remains insufficient when viewed against the urgency of global decarbonisation.

In contrast, China's corporate landscape continues to show limited growth in clean energy adoption.

Despite being the largest investor in renewable infrastructure, Chinese companies have increased their renewable energy share by only 7% since 2020.

This disconnect between state-level investment and corporate uptake raises concerns, particularly given the scale of China's emissions.

AI and electrification advance certain sectors

When the data is broken down by sector, a clearer technological trend emerges.

Electrifiable industries are decarbonising faster. Information technology, communication and financial services stand out.

The financial sector's share of renewable energy jumped from 32% to 53%, while the IT and communications sectors rose from 23% to nearly 45%.

These shifts are powered by their deep integration with electricity-based infrastructure and digital tools such as AI, which is increasingly used to track emissions and model energy efficiency gains.

"Where electrification is feasible, the shift to clean energy is happening with speed and scale," the report notes.

The implication is that sectors closely aligned with technology have a strategic advantage in sustainability.

But not all sectors are able to pivot so easily.

Energy-intensive industries, including fossil fuels, heavy manufacturing, aviation and real estate, are struggling to make similar gains.

Renewable energy usage in the fossil fuels and materials sectors moved from 12% to 18% and real estate from 13% to 20%.

These 'hard-to-abate' sectors face structural challenges. Their reliance on direct fuel combustion makes a switch to renewables technically and economically complex.

Andrés Olivares, Senior Manager of Product Research and Innovation at Clarity AI, says: “These industries are structurally more challenging to decarbonise, yet are critical for achieving net zero emissions by 2050, as they account for 75% of global emissions.

“Without substantial investment in infrastructure and electrification technologies, the global ambition of a net zero economy will remain out of reach.”

He underscores the need for long-term investment in infrastructure and electrification technologies.

This includes support from policy initiatives like the European Grids Plan, which aims to build the electric backbone for a cleaner economy.

But progress remains uneven.

Electricity makes up just a third of Europe’s industrial energy mix and only about 20% in the US. This imbalance hinders sectors that cannot yet fully electrify their operations, reinforcing the split between tech-driven and legacy industries.

AI may help bridge this divide.

Companies are increasingly using AI to simulate energy models, monitor emissions and optimise operations for better energy efficiency.

These technologies are especially valuable in mapping realistic decarbonisation pathways for sectors that face technical barriers.

Still, data from Clarity AI makes clear that innovation alone is not enough.

There must be parallel investment in systems that make clean energy not just available, but usable.

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