Event Report: AI and Sustainable Economy – What Levers for Financial Stakeholders?

Is artificial intelligence becoming a decisive driver of sustainable finance, or an additional source of pressure on energy, economic and social systems?

The Europe AI & Finance Circle, in partnership with the Institute Louis Bachelier and its PARC Foundation (ILB), has published the proceedings of its April 16, 2026 session dedicated to a topic that has become impossible to ignore: the role of artificial intelligence in sustainable finance.

Bringing together policymakers, researchers, bankers and asset managers in Paris, the event explored a question that is now central to the financial sector: how can the rapid development of AI be reconciled with environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives?

In his opening remarks, Arnaud de Bresson, Chief Executive Officer of the Europe AI & Finance Circle, outlined the ambition behind the initiative: to establish a working group tasked with developing concrete recommendations for the European financial ecosystem.

The session featured a keynote address by Anne Le Hénanff, French Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs, who stressed the urgency of developing AI that is both more sustainable and more resource-efficient. She highlighted concerns related to natural resource consumption, employment impacts, and the need for a coordinated European and international approach, notably through a global coalition for sustainable AI bringing together governments and businesses.

Moderated by Jean Rognetta, France Editor of Project Syndicate and co-founder of both the Europe AI & Finance Circle and the Qant newsletter, the discussions brought together leading regulators, bankers, academics and industry experts through two major roundtables.

Assessing the ESG Footprint of AI

The first roundtable, dedicated to the ESG impact of artificial intelligence, featured:

• Christine Balagué (Professor, Institut Mines-Télécom; Chairholder of the ILB Good in Tech Chair)
• Olivier Darmouni (Professor, HEC Paris)
• Matthieu Delescluse (Head of AI, DG Connect)
• Viviane Leflaive (Head of Financial Services, KPMG)
• Aldrick Zappellini (Chief Data Officer, Crédit Agricole)

The discussion highlighted the growing energy footprint of AI, the current limitations of ESG measurement frameworks, the risks associated with algorithmic misinformation, and the implications of AI for employment and governance. Participants converged on a shared conclusion: without robust measurement standards and stronger governance mechanisms, AI could become a destabilizing factor for decarbonization pathways.

Leveraging AI for Sustainable Finance

The second roundtable focused on the use of AI to support sustainable finance and brought together:

• Guillaume Abel (Deputy CEO, Mirova)
• Anaïs Blarel (Partner, Revaia)
• Marie Brière (Managing Director, Institute Louis Bachelier; Head of Investor Intelligence & Academic Partnerships, Amundi)
• Antoine Rostand (Chairman and Founder, Kayrros)
• Peter Tankov (Professor, Institute Louis Bachelier – participating remotely)

Their discussions painted a clear picture: AI is already transforming sustainable finance, from satellite-based emissions monitoring and climate risk analysis to automated ESG reporting and algorithm-assisted shareholder voting. At the same time, this transformation raises significant questions regarding energy consumption, data reliability, digital sovereignty and social impact.

The report, available for download, provides an in-depth account of these discussions and the action levers identified by participants to foster the development of AI that is compatible with genuinely sustainable finance.

An essential read for understanding both the challenges and opportunities currently reshaping the European financial landscape.

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