AI’s Unexpected Green Impact on Internal Comms in 2025

By Dan Sodergren - AI and Tech Expert ( www.dansodergren.com) And Russ Avery - Sustainability Expert (www.averyandbrown.com)

The Love-Hate Relationship with Events

If you read this blog and think I dislike in-person events, let me stop you right there—I love them. As a keynote speaker on AI, technology, and the future of work, face-to-face events are a huge part of my life. That’s why I was thrilled to speak at CommsHero and connect with Michelle Carville.

This event reignited my curiosity about internal communications as an industry. It also built on my work with the Institute of Internal Communicators and CommsRebel in 2022 and 2023. So, when 2024 came around, it was only fitting that I finally spoke about AI at the 10th anniversary of CommsHero.

Thanks for hiring me on as a keynote speaker, Asif...

AI, Internal Comms, and a Surprising Environmental Debate

What stood out most—aside from the strong sense of community—was my conversation with Michelle Carville. (Pictured below)

She challenged me on the environmental impact of AI. As someone who has been an environmentalist for decades (even launching The Hemp Trading Company over 25 years ago), this hit home.

For years, I championed digital over print, arguing that websites and emails were greener than brochures and letters. At the time, many thought I was mad. But was I wrong? Now, history repeats itself as I make a similar case for AI.

The AI-Driven Internal Comms Revolution

Fast forward to 2025. It’s Monday morning, and you’re an internal comms professional. But today, things are different. Your AI assistant has drafted the weekly newsletter, scheduled the virtual town hall, and analyzed last week’s employee sentiment—all before you’ve had your first sip of coffee.

Oh, and your carbon footprint? A fraction of what it used to be.

It might sound futuristic, but it’s happening now. Internal comms (and all marketing, really) is about to get much greener.

The Old Way: Internal Comms as an Energy Drain

Traditional internal communications have been energy-intensive:

• Office operations: 2,800 kWh per year (enough to power a small home)
• Commuting: Up to 5,000 kWh per year
• Digital activities: Up to 2,000 kWh per year

Total? Up to 7,960 kWh per person, per year. Equivalent to keeping Christmas lights on non-stop for three years!

This is often used as an argument against AI, with critics claiming AI’s energy use is unsustainable. But does the data support that claim?

Three Ways AI is Making Internal Comms Greener

1. Virtual Events That Don’t Burn the Planet

Remember when corporate events meant flying hundreds of people to a conference center, consuming energy at the scale of a small village?

• Traditional corporate events: 15,000–20,000 kWh
• AI-powered virtual events: 200–500 kWh

That’s a 97% energy reduction—the equivalent of swapping a gas-guzzling monster truck for an e-bike.

And while online events may never fully replace in-person gatherings, they work. AI further reduces their footprint by:
✅ Automating event personalization
✅ Optimizing participation with smart engagement tools
✅ Reducing email overload by 60%

2. Smarter Remote Work

Working from home isn’t just about comfortable clothing anymore. AI is making remote work significantly more energy-efficient:

• Traditional office work: 26.5 kWh per day (thanks to commuting, office equipment, and climate control)
• Remote work powered by AI: 8.3 kWh per day

That’s a 69% reduction in energy use—like trading an SUV for an e-scooter. AI helps make remote work practical by:
✅ Real-time translation & transcription
✅ AI-driven workspace management
✅ Automated resource allocation
✅ Smart scheduling systems

3. AI-Powered Leadership Comms (Without the Waste)

Gone are the days of executives spending hours crafting messages and generating never-ending email chains. AI streamlines internal leadership communication by:

• Reducing meeting prep time by 66%
• Cutting document creation time by 75%
• Slashing analysis time by 80%

This doesn’t just save time—it cuts server space use and weekly energy consumption:

• Meeting prep: 8 kWh saved
• Document creation: 6 kWh saved
• Analytics: 12 kWh saved

What This Means for You 🎯

By 2025, you’ll be leading the charge in sustainable communication. Here’s how AI will empower you:

1️⃣ Event Planning: AI manages the logistics while you make virtual events truly engaging.
2️⃣ Remote Collaboration: Work efficiently from anywhere while cutting energy consumption.
3️⃣ Leadership Support: Create impactful executive messages—without the environmental cost of an entire printing press.

The Numbers That Make You Look Smart in Meetings 📊

By integrating AI into remote work, digital marketing, and internal comms, businesses can:
✅ Reduce commuting and travel emissions
✅ Lower overall office energy use
✅ Improve engagement and efficiency

The Bottom Line: Internal Comms’ Superhero Moment

Internal comms is at a turning point. With AI as your secret weapon, you’re not just improving engagement—you’re actively reducing your company’s carbon footprint.

Best of all? You’re leading the change.

No cape required (unless you really want one—after all, you’re probably working remotely - and some folk did wear capes at CommsHero)

What’s Next?

AI is here to make internal communications smarter, greener, and more effective. Want proof? Just check your energy bills. For more insights, listen to Dan Sodergren on the "Can Marketing Save The Planet" podcast.

Afterthought by Russ Avery

Thanks for an insightful post, Dan! Having recently discussed these themes with Dan on the"Can Marketing Save the Planet" podcast with Michelle and Gemma, this
post offers a fascinating perspective on AI's potential to reduce workplace
emissions. The data around remote working and virtual events is particularly
compelling – a 97% energy reduction for corporate events would certainly be
hard to ignore!

However, while Dan makes an excellent case for AI's role increating more sustainable workplaces, we must consider the bigger picture of how AI is currently being used across society. As we discussed at length on the podcast, millions are using powerful AI tools for increasingly trivial purposes.

Take the viral phenomenon of "Shrimp Jesus" – an AI-generatedimage of a crustacean messiah that, while amusing (if that’s your thing?!), exemplify how these tools are often used for pure entertainment rather than social good.

Each of these images consumes significant energy and waterresources while generating CO2 emissions. When multiplied across millions of similar frivolous creations viewed billions of times, we're creating what’s called "AI slop" – digital pollution with a very real environmental cost.

I'm excited by Dan's vision of AI enabling more sustainableworkplace practices, but let’s remember that achieving this potential requires a fundamental shift in how we approach these powerful tools. This is why education is crucial – I'd strongly encourage readers to learn more about AI's implications on sustainable development, climate change, and biodiversity.

Only by understanding both AI's capabilities and its costscan we ensure we're using it to genuinely benefit society rather than simply generate digital detritus.

LISTEN

TO THE WHOLE INTERVIEW PODCAST HERE…

About Russ Avery:

Russ is co-Founder and Strategy Director at Avery & Brown – an award-winning,B Corp certified sustainable marketing agency. Through its blend of brand strategy, marketing and communications services, Avery & Brown helps
sustainable businesses break into the mainstream.

Russ is a regular speaker at sustainability and marketingevents and podcasts, he has guest lectured at both UCA Epsom and The University of Surrey on sustainable business and marketing, and he is a graduate of the Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme.

Prior to founding Avery & Brown, Russ was an independentmarketer for sustainable businesses – a role that naturally followed his six years of working as the in-house marketer for two London-based corporate sustainability consultancies. He also has experience in the charity sector and working at one of the Big 4.

Russ blogs about better business, sustainability and climatechange, and AI for good over on his personal website russavery.com. You can also connect with Russ on LinkedIn.

About the Author: Dan Sodergren

(Connect withDan Sodergren on Linkedin here.)

Keynote speaker, corporate trainer, TedxTalker, and author.Ex marketing agency owner and serial tech startup co-founder, Dan Sodergren is a digital marketing and technology expert who specialises in the future of work and AI. He works on the BBC Breakfast, BBC new channels, BBC Watchdog, the One Show, RipOffBritain and on countless radio shows.

He is a tech futurist and optimist. Who trains companies inhow the future of work, technology and AI will change the world for the better during this #FifthIndustrialRevolution.

Dan truly believes in the power of AI to make our jobs more awesome and our planet a little greener. No trees were harmed in the writing of this blog post (AImade sure of that!).

Dan is on the “Can Marketing Save ThePlanet” podcast with RussAvery and Gemma Butler