ESG used to be a tick-box. Now, it’s a battleground — and nowhere is this shift more visible than in Germany’s enterprise and public sector tech communities. The pressure is no longer just to implement sustainable and ethical practices, but to prove them. 

As we look ahead to Tech Show Frankfurt 2025, it’s clear: tech leadership is being redefined. 

ESG and AI Governance Are Merging 

The dual pressures of sustainability regulation (CSRD, EU Taxonomy) and AI oversight (AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001) are converging fast. Organisations are expected not only to monitor their environmental impact but also to govern the behaviour of the algorithms they deploy. 

And yet, many leadership teams are navigating this with siloed approaches — compliance here, innovation there. That’s a risk. 

Smart organisations are integrating ESG and AI governance into a single, transparent framework. From procurement to model training, from supply chain energy use to algorithmic fairness — a unified oversight model is emerging. 

Public + Private Leadership: The Proof Is in the Action 

Case studies from across Germany underline this shift. E.ON Digital Technology is advancing AI-enabled sustainability programmes across its cloud infrastructure, while the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) is doubling down on AI assurance in public services. 

Leaders aren’t just implementing policy. They’re embedding purpose into infrastructure. 

The Trust Gap 

At Tech Show Frankfurt 2024, CIOs, CTOs, and Heads of Digital & Sustainability shared a clear message: they don’t just want ESG ambition or AI hype — they want clarity, consistency, and measurable leadership. 

The trust gap is growing. And in a cautious market, vague claims no longer suffice. 

Great Leadership in 2025 = Value + Values 

Real leadership means aligning outcomes with principles. In today’s AI-powered, audit-ready tech environment, value creation must walk hand-in-hand with ethical clarity. 

If you’re leading a transformation programme, designing governance architecture, or defining ESG metrics — the question isn’t whether your organisation is trustworthy. It’s how clearly you can prove it. 

At Tech Show Frankfurt 2025, we’ll explore how.