Sustainably connected
Climate & AI Coalition
Climate protection and technological progress must go hand in hand. Artificial intelligence consumes large amounts of electricity, water, and other resources. However, if developed sustainably and used strategically, it could also be leveraged to protect the climate. With the launch of the Climate & AI Coalition, AlgorithmWatch CH is bringing together stakeholders from the climate and AI sectors to strengthen climate protection in the age of AI.
Image: Deborah Lupton / betterimagesofai.org / CC-BY 4.0
Network Coordinator
Project duration: June 2026 to May 2028
The impact of AI on the climate, the environment, and our natural resources is very real. Generative AI models in particular, such as ChatGPT, entail enormous environmental costs throughout their entire supply chain. Accordingly, emissions from major technology companies focused on AI have risen by 150% over the past three years (comparing 2020 and 2023). The growing resource consumption of AI infrastructure is also evident in Switzerland: By 2030, the annual electricity consumption of data centers could double, from 6–8% today to as much as 10–15%.
Targeted use of technology instead of the "bigger-is-better" hype
The public debate is dominated by ongoing AI hype. Tech CEOs continue to push the misleading narrative that AI is the Holy Grail for solving our world’s problems—including the climate crisis. As a result, billions are now being invested in resource-intensive “general-purpose AI models.” The development of smaller, task-specific, and more sustainable AI approaches is being left behind. Yet it is precisely these approaches that have the potential to contribute to truly climate-friendly alternatives. At the same time, the Swiss public is concerned about the rising resource consumption of AI infrastructure, as shown by a representative survey conducted by AlgorithmWatch CH (full survey).
Coalition builds bridges and raises awareness
To counteract the political vacuum and the misleading narratives put forward by tech giants, coordinated action is needed from stakeholders in politics, business, civil society, and academia. This is precisely where the Climate & AI Coalition comes in: The coalition brings together stakeholders in the fields of climate and AI from Switzerland and Germany to:
- jointly develop evidence-based recommendations for action,
- inject new momentum into the public debate on climate change and AI,
- drive systemic change that champions approaches to more climate-friendly AI at various levels.
The Climate & AI Coalition envisions a society in which climate protection and technological progress go hand in hand, moving away from the “bigger-is-better” hype and toward a more targeted use of technology. This enables a sustainable and equitable AI ecosystem that is guided by the common good and planetary boundaries.
AlgorithmWatch CH will be working intensively to build the coalition in the coming months. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Clima Now.
