Apple Inc chief executive officer Tim Cook said artificial intelligence is an essential tool for helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint, as he joined a climate change dialogue on March 24 at the China Development Forum.

Cook took part in a discussion at the annual Beijing event as the culmination of a week of public displays of his company’s commitment to China. He earlier met Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and announced plans to invest further in Apple’s supply chain, stores and research in the country.