Accenture: How Procurement Leaders Can Power Change Using AI

With the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicting an 80% increase in global energy demand by 2050, the role of AI in managing this increase is becoming critical.

For the energy sector, AI could unlock major efficiency and operational gains, including reducing costs and lowering emissions.

A 2025 report from global consulting company Accenture, Powered for Change, offers guidance for businesses on integrating AI-driven projects to achieve decarbonisation goals, with a specific focus on procurement and supply chain strategy.

Rethinking procurement

The report from Accenture proposes a multigenerational approach for infrastructure projects, urging companies to look ahead while planning. This method involves developing products, services or technologies once, with subsequent projects improving upon the last.

It utilises a flexible, repeatable design that can be continually upgraded, which could reduce costs and allow more resources to be allocated to low-carbon solutions. This stands in contrast to current strategies, as the report shows that up to 75% of existing decarbonisation plans are centred on short-term projects that, while providing immediate results, could increase both cost and risk in the long term.

Accenture's report identifies four key components to enable its proposed multigenerational approach:

• Scaling efficient supply chains
  
• Fostering community and customer support
  
• Reinventing talent and workflows
  
• Establishing a digital core for AI

Adopting a multigenerational view on projects could help companies to not only reduce their carbon footprint but also adapt in an unpredictable business landscape. Accenture encourages the creation of long-term goals to build a reliable and sustainable future.

AI and the digital core in procurement

The report highlights that a strong digital presence is essential for modern projects. It states that “many industrial decarbonisation efforts stall due to outdated, fragmented digital systems that fail to capture and apply continuous learning across projects.”

By embedding AI, companies can automate processes, optimise operations and accelerate decarbonisation. For procurement departments, AI agents can be used to automate decision-making, forecast risks and create fewer project delays, leading to greater project success rates. This digital ecosystem also improves workforce collaboration and increases regulatory and ESG compliance.

Stephanie Jamison, Sustainability Services Lead at Accenture, says: “Our research shows that fundamental reinvention changes the economics of decarbonisation. Companies can drastically reduce capital expenditure across iterations. And AI and gen AI can amplify its effects by capturing learnings across projects and delivering exponential returns.”

Building resilient and strategic supply chains

A core message from Accenture is that short-term procurement contributes to supply chain inefficiencies. The proposed solution is the development of resilient supply chains that enable the implementation of clean energy infrastructure without disruptions or cost spikes.

According to Accenture's report, companies can build these long-term supply chain partnerships through strategic investments. This strategy is expected to yield a 30-50% cost reduction over successive projects, alongside more reliable and efficient operations.

The report also recommends that companies invest in and advocate for local manufacturing hubs to increase the predictability of their supply and limit geopolitical risk. This approach can bring competitive advantages across project portfolios and improve access to low-carbon power.

“The journey to net zero demands more than one breakthrough,” Stephanie explains. “It calls for sustained progress over generations of build that greatly improves the business case.”

This perspective places procurement at the centre of long-term, sustainable strategy, moving it from a cost-saving function to a value-creating one.