How AI Agents and Digital Twins Help Build Net Positive Cities From Smart Cities to Net Positive Results

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White Paper | 2025-9-19

15 minute read

Cities now stand at the frontline of the world’s most complex and urgent challenges. Disproportionately impacted by extreme weather events, sea level rise and resource scarcity, environmental threats to cities are amplified by aging infrastructure and widening social inequality. To become part of the solution, they must evolve beyond “smart” to embrace a new model: the Net Positive City.
This white paper explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI), coupled with Social Digital Twins (SDTs), can help urban leaders shift from incremental improvements to systemic transformation, adopting a Net Positive agenda to create an immediate, practical imperative for a healthier, more equitable and resilient urban future.

Introduction: From Smart to Net Positive

Cities are uniquely positioned to serve as platforms for innovation and impact and with over 70% of global CO₂ emissions originating from urban areas, they hold the key to meaningful climate action.
At the same time, there can be large differences in the environmental "footprints" showing the potential for radical decarbonization. Among global megacities, for example, Tokyo emits four tons of Co2 equivalent (tCo2e) per capita, while London emits 10, and New York 17.
The smart city movement has already delivered significant gains in service optimization, congestion management, and resource monitoring. These gains however, are limited by their reactive nature. Efficiency is necessary, but not sufficient.
In these complex and interconnected environments, environmental factors cannot be considered in isolation from social ones. And it’s when we consider the city as a system, lies the Net Positive opportunity.

Download the full insight paper and find out more.

Related Information

Förderung des Net Postive – Gewinnsteigerung mit Zielsetzung

Die von Economist Impact entwickelte und erforschte „Advancing Net Positive Agenda“ von Fujitsu ist ein einzigartiges Toolkit, das Unternehmensleitern dabei helfen soll, sich in Richtung Nettopositiv zu entwickeln, d. h. Werte für Gemeinschaften und die Umwelt zu schaffen und gleichzeitig Rentabilität und Widerstandsfähigkeit zu gewährleisten.
Luftaufnahme von zwei gekrümmten Autobahnen, die das Wasser kreuzen.

Read the Executive Summary

The Executive Summary presents Fujitsu's Net Positive Index, developed and researched by Economist Impact, and its key insights, providing a roadmap for businesses to begin their Net Positive journey. Embracing a Net Positive approach is a distinctive opportunity to drive financial growth through positive impact strategies. Is your business ready to lead the way?
Net Positive Index executive summary pdf thumbnail

A Future Strategy Powered by AI and Net Positive Thinking

This paper offers 3 perspectives to harness AI for social value and create a virtuous cycle of trust, enabling sustainable, trusted management.
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