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Climate Week Balances Clean Energy Hope Against AI Uncertainty
Climate leaders met in New York to discuss how to slow global warming.
Scientists said Earth has crossed seven of nine limits that help keep the planet healthy.
Clean energy such as wind and solar is growing quickly.
However, countries are still using a lot of coal, oil, and gas.
Artificial intelligence could help people solve climate problems.
But the computers that run AI use large amounts of electricity and water.
Some leaders worry this could make pollution and energy costs worse.
Others believe these problems can be reduced as technology improves.
The meeting will also discuss how wars and higher fuel prices are affecting the move to clean energy.
Global leaders and business executives opened New York Climate Week amid warnings that seven of nine planetary boundaries have been breached.
Experts said renewable energy is expanding rapidly, but climate damage is accelerating faster than political and financial systems can respond.
Leaders warned that AI data centers consume large amounts of energy and water, potentially increasing emissions and household energy costs.
Supporters said AI could help design solutions to climate change, with projections that data centers could become water-neutral within five years and stop adding emissions within about a decade.
A new report said the world can still triple renewable power capacity by 2030, but must build more capacity from 2026 to 2030 than in all previous years combined.
- Who
- Government leaders, business executives, scientists, activists, and climate and technology experts, including Johan Rockström, Simon Stiell, Edward Miliband, Mohamed Adow, Eva Riesenhuber, Evelyn Wang, and Jennifer Morgan.
- What
- New York Climate Week began with discussions about climate risks, renewable-energy growth, fossil-fuel dependence, and the environmental effects and potential benefits of artificial intelligence.
- Where
- New York, alongside meetings connected to the United Nations General Assembly.
- When
- The talks began Monday, September 22; the article does not specify the year.
- Why
- Participants are seeking faster action on climate change as planetary risks, disasters, energy prices, and AI-related energy and water use increase.
Climate and AI Concerns
AI and Clean-Energy Opportunities
Artificial intelligence's environmental impact
Climate and AI Concerns
Simon Stiell and other critics said energy-intensive AI and its data centers are increasing pollution, energy demand, water use, and public concern.
AI and Clean-Energy Opportunities
Eva Riesenhuber and Evelyn Wang said AI is important for humanity and can help develop solutions to climate change, while its environmental impacts can be reduced.
Renewable-energy progress
Climate and AI Concerns
Johan Rockström warned that renewable energy is meeting rising electricity demand without yet reducing overall oil, coal, and gas use enough to bend the emissions curve.
AI and Clean-Energy Opportunities
The International Renewable Energy Agency, the Global Renewables Alliance, and Turkey reported that renewable growth remains strong and that the global tripling target is still achievable if construction accelerates.
Climate response and energy security
Climate and AI Concerns
Climate experts said disasters and climate impacts are accelerating faster than political and financial systems can respond, while fossil-fuel dependence is raising costs and inflation.
AI and Clean-Energy Opportunities
Edward Miliband argued that shifting to cleaner energy is a national-security imperative, and Mohamed Adow said energy shocks may encourage countries to move faster toward renewables.
Key facts
- Planetary boundaries
- A report said seven of nine science-determined boundaries for a healthy planet have been breached.
- Renewable-energy target
- The world is reported to still be capable of tripling renewable power capacity by the end of the decade.
- Renewable capacity added
- Global renewable additions peaked at 693 gigawatts in 2025, according to the article.
- Required acceleration
- More renewable capacity must be built from 2026 to 2030 than in all previous years combined.
- AI data centers
- Data centers are described as major consumers of electricity and water, raising concerns about emissions and costs.
- Projected improvements
- Evelyn Wang said data centers could be water-neutral in about five years and stop adding planet-warming emissions in about a decade.
- Climate negotiations
- Turkey, which is hosting the United Nations climate negotiations in November, announced a proposed pledge on managing AI's power use and deployment.
Quotes
Johan Rockström
Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
“Energy-guzzling artificial intelligence is driving up planet-heating pollution from coal, oil, and gas while ratcheting up energy costs for households and businesses. AI leaders are now on thin ice when it comes to license to operate, and sinking deep underwater when it comes to public support.”
livemint.com
“Patient Earth is not well. We are not only putting the stability, the resilience, and the life support systems on Earth at risk, we are very close to pushing ourselves across thresholds that can lead to irreversible, unmanageable outcomes.”
livemint.com
Edward Miliband
UK Secretary of State
“The climate breakdown must be an issue for foreign ministers and prime ministers. As well as energy and climate ministers. The security community, not just the activist community. The generals, not just the green campaigners.”
livemint.com
Sources
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