How AI Is Powering Climate Action: Green Tally's Mission to Decarbonise SMEs

Artificial intelligence is transforming how businesses approach sustainability—and not just by optimising energy consumption or predicting weather patterns. In this episode of Chatting GPT, Maryrose Lyons of AI Institute (Ireland & UK) speaks with Ning Na, co-founder and CEO of Green Tally AI, about how AI is automating the complex process of greenhouse gas accounting for small and medium enterprises.

From Executive MBA to Climate Tech Founder

Ning Na's journey into climate technology began during her executive MBA at HEC Paris. The programme placed heavy emphasis on sustainability and leveraging AI to help businesses understand and reduce their carbon emissions. Inspired by what she learned, and by the innovative startups she encountered at sustainability events in France, Ning asked herself a simple question: why not launch something in this space?

The result was Green Tally AI, a Y Combinator-backed company that automates greenhouse gas accounting. The platform processes utility bills and other data sources through fine-tuned AI models, reducing weeks of manual data entry to minutes. For SMEs that lack the resources to hire dedicated sustainability teams, this automation is transformative.

Understanding Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions

One of the biggest challenges in carbon accounting is understanding the three scopes of emissions. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources—company vehicles, manufacturing processes, on-site fuel combustion. Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased energy—electricity, heat, steam. Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions in the value chain—business travel, purchased goods and services, waste disposal, employee commuting.

For most SMEs, Scope 3 represents the largest share of their carbon footprint, yet it is also the most difficult to calculate. Green Tally's AI models help businesses navigate this complexity, providing accurate emissions calculations without requiring specialised expertise.

The Commercial Imperative

Sustainability reporting is no longer just about corporate social responsibility—it is becoming a commercial necessity. Ning shares the story of a live musical production company in Ireland that lost a €100,000+ contract because it lacked a decarbonisation plan. Large enterprises increasingly require their suppliers to demonstrate environmental credentials, and SMEs that cannot provide this documentation risk being excluded from supply chains.

The EU AI Act and Environmental Disclosure

The regulatory landscape is also shifting. The EU AI Act, coming into force in August 2025, will require major AI companies—including OpenAI and Google—to disclose energy usage and carbon emissions from model training. This transparency requirement will accelerate investment in renewable energy and more efficient AI systems.

For businesses using AI, this creates both opportunities and responsibilities. Organisations can reduce their AI-related carbon footprint by using prompt efficiency techniques—crafting better prompts that require fewer tokens and less computational power.

Support for Irish SMEs

For SMEs in Ireland, government grants are available to fund decarbonisation planning. Green Tally offers hands-on support, completing much of the work on behalf of clients. The goal is to make sustainability reporting accessible to businesses that would otherwise struggle with the complexity and cost.

AI Institute (Ireland & UK) hosts the Chatting GPT podcast and delivers AI literacy programmes and AI adoption workshops helping teams understand responsible, efficient AI use—including prompt efficiency to reduce carbon output. This episode connects directly to EU AI Act readiness and AI strategy for leadership teams.

Want the full conversation? Watch the Chatting GPT episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHkfyjZDU08