Winning with AI
Using AI to Finance Sustainability
Using AI to Finance Sustainability
A unique collaboration enables First Abu Dhabi Bank to pioneer a powerful AI-based platform.
Overview
At COP28 in Dubai, the UAE banking sector pledged to deploy 1 trillion AED (approximately $272 billion) in sustainable finance by 2030. First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has committed to deploying half that amount. The bank raised its original commitment by 80%, signaling its strong ambition.
However, stakeholder interviews revealed the challenges involved in achieving this goal. Relationship managers and advisers struggle to carve out time to scan news and market updates for opportunities. The validation process is also lengthy, since it’s difficult to collect and validate sustainability data.
Given this context, FAB was chosen as the inaugural partner for a groundbreaking collaboration between Bain and the World Economic Forum focused on using AI to tackle sustainability challenges.
Outcomes
75+
opportunities surfaced during pilot
$300M+
potential revenue gain by 2030
We worked closely with FAB to create the Sustainable Finance Market Pulse, an AI-powered lead identification tool that can instantly deliver vetted and prioritized leads. It is the first component of a broader sustainability intelligence platform that will drive better tracking, reporting, and transaction efficiency. At its core, Pulse is an AI agent that mimics human workflows at an amplified scale and speed.
The project began with an eight-week sprint designed to size the value of AI for sustainability within the financial services sector. From an initial list of 18 potential use cases, 5 were shortlisted as having the greatest potential, with one chosen as the most promising to pilot due to its forecast commercial and sustainability impact. A prototype platform was then built that reviewed more than 1,500 market signals across eight countries to identify, validate, and prioritize opportunities to deploy sustainable finance. More than a dozen users tested the platform, providing valuable feedback on features and the quality of the prioritized opportunity list.
During the pilot, the Sustainable Finance Market Pulse surfaced more than 75 opportunities across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, and it is on track to uncover more than 700 per year. By 2030, the tool in its current form could help identify opportunities to deploy between $7 billion and $25 billion in incremental sustainable capital. In terms of impact on sustainability, the tool is expected to finance projects that reduce carbon emissions by 1.2 to 3.8 million tons and help create between 16,000 and 50,000 jobs on sustainability projects. Future enhancements will transform Pulse into a comprehensive capital deployment decision tool.
More broadly, FAB and Bain signed a memorandum of understanding at the World Economic Forum in January, underscoring our commitment to identifying, prioritizing, prototyping, and scaling AI use cases for sustainability. The collaboration reflects growing momentum across the financial sector for embedding digital tools into sustainability strategies. Pairing Bain’s advisory and transformation experience with FAB’s market leadership and data-driven approach, the partnership will develop practical models for mobilizing private capital and scaling the transition to a low-carbon economy.
