- IBM will increase investment in the IBM Sustainability
Accelerator by 50%, committing up to $45
million in cash and in-kind donations over the next five
years.
- New RFP will align with United Nations Sustainable
Development Goal 11: making cities safe, resilient and
sustainable.
- IBM will collaborate with the EY organization to strengthen
the opportunities and knowledge support available to program
participants.
ARMONK, N.Y., March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aligned with United
Nations SDG 11, IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today a new request for
proposals from government and non-profit organizations for the IBM
Sustainability Accelerator, focused on technology-driven projects
to advance city resiliency. IBM also announced that it would
increase investment in the pro-bono social impact program by 50%,
committing to make up to $45 million
in cash and in-kind donations of technology and services available
over the next five years. The IBM Sustainability Accelerator
applies IBM technology, including IBM watsonx, an AI and data
platform and AI assistants, to support populations vulnerable to
environmental threats around the world, with a new RFP and
sustainability topic announced each year.
UN Habitat1 forecasts that the world will continue to
urbanize over the next three decades, with the share of people
living in urban areas increasing from 56 percent in 2021 to 68
percent by 2050. The disproportionate impacts of climate change can
challenge capacity for sustainable urban development and planning,
as cities around the world work to address priorities like
emissions levels, intensifying climate risks, environmental justice
and more.
"After three years working to improve lives and uplift
vulnerable communities around the world, we're proud to recognize
the success of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator by strengthening
both our impact and our investment in the program," said
Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM Vice
President and Chief Impact Officer. "We look forward to working
with a new cohort of partners to transform the cities we live in,
and to deploy solutions that harness the potential of artificial
intelligence to build a more resilient future."
This year, the program will introduce a new strategic
collaboration with EY to strengthen the participant experience and
amplify the impact of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator. EY will
contribute to the resilient cities cohort by providing support
during the RFP selection process, organizational development
coaching from EY teams, and capacity-building workshops that will
build upon the leadership development and professional mentoring
opportunities available to program participants.
The evaluation and selection criteria for the global RFP will
consider applicants' level of support to communities especially
vulnerable to urban environmental threats; the feasibility and
sustainability of proposed technology solutions for climate change
mitigation; and applicants' transparency on measurement and
reporting, among other considerations.
Nonprofit and government initiatives focused on city resiliency
and urban climate adaptation can apply to the RFP beginning
March 6, 2024, until the end of the
submission window on April 30, 2024.
Selected participants will be announced later in the year.
Questions about the IBM Sustainability Accelerator program and
the new RFP can be directed to
sustainability.accelerator@ibm.com.
About the IBM Sustainability Accelerator
Launched in
2022, the IBM Sustainability Accelerator is a social impact program
that addresses environmental threats impacting vulnerable
communities around the world. Each year, the program selects about
five projects to scale technology and AI solutions within a new
sustainability topic area. To date, the IBM Sustainability
Accelerator has supported 15 global projects across three active
cohorts, focused on sustainable agriculture, clean energy and water
management. For more information:
https://www.ibm.com/impact/initiatives/ibm-sustainability-accelerator/cities
CONTACT
Carmen San
Segundo
Global Communications Director, ESG and CSR
carmenssg@ibm.com
1
https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2022/06/wcr_2022.pdf
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