Tribune | AI, an accelerator of ESG integration in Africa, a true catalyst for trust in sustainable value chains. By Pierre-Samuel Guedj
Tribune | AI, an accelerator of ESG integration in Africa, a true catalyst for trust in sustainable value chains. By Pierre-Samuel Guedj*
As ESG criteria become a necessary step for accessing international markets and sustainable financing, African companies sometimes struggle to document and promote their best practices. Artificial intelligence offers a unique opportunity: to identify, measure, and manage ESG issues more reliably, quickly, and strategically. Provided it is designed for—and by—the continent.
ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) criteria are redefining the rules of the game in the global economy. For companies, financial institutions, and governments, it’s no longer just a matter of « doing good, » but of « proving that we’re doing good. » Demands for transparency, traceability, and impact have never been greater.
Yet, in Africa, many economic players are penalized: lack of structured data, difficulties in complying with standards often designed elsewhere, complexity of local value chains. The result: virtuous practices are invisible, and access to sustainable financing is sometimes hampered.
This is where artificial intelligence comes in. Far from being a luxury technology, it is becoming a powerful lever to help African stakeholders identify their ESG issues, leverage their efforts, and anticipate risks.
Technology to see further, faster, more accurately
Using natural language processing (NLP) and big data analytics, AI can:
* Scan reports, articles, institutional publications or public databases,
* Automatically identify ESG signals: human rights violations, corruption risks, pollution, land conflicts, etc.
* Identify the material issues specific to each sector, territory or company.
In short, AI can shed light on what has often remained in the shadows, raise alerts, and also promote sincere commitments—in agriculture, mining, infrastructure, and energy, to name just a few key sectors.
Unique opportunities for the continent
On a continent where the green transition and social justice are at the heart of development issues, AI can become a catalyst for impact. It can help:
* African SMEs to access sustainable markets by becoming more easily compliant;
* Investors to better assess extra-financial risks in the African context;
* States to strengthen environmental and social regulation through automated monitoring tools.
It can also correct an injustice: the under-representation of African actors in major global ESG databases, often biased by a lack of local data or by an interpretation disconnected from the realities on the ground.
The issue is not technological, but strategic
Of course, AI is not a magic wand. Without reliable local data, without harnessing African expertise, and without inclusive governance, it risks reproducing the very blind spots it claims to correct.
But if properly managed and properly guided, it can become a tool for ESG sovereignty in Africa. A way to produce its own indicators, defend its own narratives, and build responsible capitalism rooted in African realities.
What if Africa chose to use artificial intelligence as a lever for transparency, justice, and sustainable growth? The opportunity is here. It’s up to us to make it a tool that serves the continent, not just another imported filter.
*By Pierre-Samuel Guedj, President of Affectio Mutandi