Loughborough academic brings Digital Decarbonisation initiative to WEF Global Technology Retreat 2025

A group of people seated in a semi-circle in an office or conference room, engaged in a discussion. One person is speaking and gesturing with their hand while others listen. A large screen in the background displays presentation content.

Loughborough Business School’s Professor Tom Jackson recently joined over 300 senior leaders and experts from business, government, academia, and civil society at this year’s WEF Global Technology Retreat. Hosted from 3 to 6 June at the World Economic Forum’s Presidio campus in San Francisco, participants explored the rapid trajectory of technological development and how best to respond to the impacts on our societies.

Held over three days, the world-renowned retreat provides a unique platform to align innovation with global priorities. Professor Jackson was invited to serve as the facilitator of a key strategy session titled: ‘The Intelligence Energy Equation.’  

The high-level, boardroom-style discussion related directly to the WEF’s AI Energy Impact Workstream, focused on the ‘AI Transformation of Industries’. This programme is centred on applying artificial intelligence to reshape value chains, unlock new business and operating models, and drive responsible, sector-specific innovation, efficiency, and growth. 

The results of the discussion facilitated by Professor Jackson built on the pioneering white paper: ‘Artificial Intelligence’s Energy Paradox: Challenges and Opportunities’ launched earlier this year at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos. This paper highlighted the cutting-edge work of Professor Jackson and his colleague and co-founder of the Digital Decarbonisation initiative, Professor Ian Hodgkinson. 

Learn more about the policy implications of this work.