Pioneering a sustainable future with digital intelligence — The fourth CSO Forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards program kicks off

The fourth CSO Forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards (hereinafter referred to as the “Awards”) kicked off today. Under the theme “Pioneering a sustainable future with digital intelligence”, the Awards program aims to build a platform for dialogue and communication across diverse sectors, propelling businesses to forge new horizons driven by digital technology and green development.

AI is advancing rapidly in China, infusing momentum into the green transition. The Report on the Work of the Government 2025 emphasizes the advancement of the AI Plus initiative to unleash the ingenuity of the digital economy, while accelerating the green transition in all facets of economic and social development through a synergized approach of emission reduction, pollution control, green expansion and economic stimulation. The symbiotic relationship between digital technology and green development offers a fresh perspective that centers on high-quality development.

Jack Chan, EY China Chairman and EY Greater China Regional Managing Partner, says: “Addressing climate risks, adhering to the ESG framework and advancing sustainability have evolved into a global consensus and a shared mission among responsible enterprises in this era. Green symbolizes sustainability. The integration of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to lead industrial transformation and upgrading, foster green recovery and generate new growth momentum has emerged as a key issue for contemporary businesses. In the future, the deep integration of digital intelligence and green development is crucial for businesses to sustain competitiveness. EY teams expect to collaborate with all stakeholders to further explore AI-powered intelligence. This signifies a transition driven by digital prowess towards green initiatives and innovation-led value creation, with the objective of harmonizing the economy, society and the environment for sustainability.”

As an active advocate and practitioner of sustainable development, EY has been committed to supporting China’s high-quality development. The Awards program is designed to inspire listed companies to uphold the path of high-quality development, build a new paradigm and incorporate ESG principles, pooling wisdom to advance greener development and foster higher quality growth.

Michael Bi, the CSO Forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards Program Chairman and EY Greater China Markets Managing Partner, says: “The Awards program has been organized for three consecutive years, during which we have witnessed remarkable achievements in sustainability by exceptional companies and individuals. These achievements vividly illustrate how Chinese companies are embracing sustainability in their pursuit of high-quality development, spanning from integrating sustainability into business strategies, strengthening ESG capacities and information disclosure through technological innovations, to developing systems aligned with carbon neutrality objectives that drive industry-wide low-carbon transitions. This year, EY teams are hosting the Awards under the theme ‘Pioneering a sustainable future with digital intelligence’ to further accelerate the green transition fueled by digital intelligence.”

At the launch ceremony, guests and business representatives delivered themed speeches and engaged in discussions on frontier issues, exchanging insights and the latest practices. AI provides real-time and accurate professional responses, translating complex ESG data into strategic and practical recommendations, supporting businesses in their efforts to achieve ESG goals. During the dialogue session, the EY AI agent – ESG.ai, released by EY Greater China Region recently, interacted with guests who raised questions. As the first innovative agent in the industry that integrates cognitive intelligence with expertise, ESG.ai provided real-time responses to sustainability topics, showcasing its accessibility, professionalism and reliability amid the AI and ESG integration.

Hoffman Cheong, the CSO Forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards Program Co-Chairman and EY China North Managing Partner, says: “In addition to the traditional professional and rigorous benchmarks, this year marks the debut of AI integration into the judging process, supported by the EY corporate ESG database. AI will serve as an supplementary tool, assisting the independent judging panel in evaluating ESG reports of nominations. EY teams are using our own AI use case as evidence to validate the efficacy of ESG management powered by technology. We hope our approach can serve as a benchmark or model amid the realm of digital transformation.”

The recipients of the Awards, including companies, individuals, best cases and winners of special jury awards, will be selected by an independent judging panel through a rigorous selection process. This process will reply on high-quality development metrics, the latest global sustainability assessment system, ESG standards as well as the economic, social and technological values generated.

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