The net climate impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) depend largely on how its applications propagate through competing energy pathways. Absent policy steering, AI's modeled effects increase the carbon intensity of the global economy and reinforce fossil fuel incumbency—outcomes that current analytical and governance frameworks do not fully capture.
Alpine, Will; Geldner, Nathan; Alpine, Holly; Chepeliev, Maksym G.. 2026-08-04. AI-Driven Productivity Gains Enable More CO₂ Emissions Than They Avoid in a Global Energy–Economy Model. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44168-026-00411-0 (AI & Environment Resource Hub; record paper-502; collection snapshot 2026-09-15).
Classification and context
Included in the original Scientific Paper collection. Labels below are metadata based suggestions. They are not verified findings, claims of effectiveness, or endorsements.
A paper listing is not a quality assessment. Peer review and findings require source-level confirmation. Source link reachable · checked 2026-09-15. Source identity and required metadata verified. The import date is not the original date added.
We are happy to share this strategic report–AI and Climate Change: The Global South Facing the New Geopolitics of Innovation–written by Lori Regattieri and jointly launched by CIPÓ and the Green Screen Coalition. The report articulates key connections between energy infrastructures, climate justice and purported AI solutions for the “energy transition”. Their work argues for multilateral, pluriversal, and multisectoral approaches to digital infrastructure and industrial policy. The report names the violence of the “logic of expansion” and the fallacies of transition, which “simultaneously drives energy regimes and artificial intelligence systems”. Lori’s critique on the entanglement of many different social and political issues in Brazil is critical in a time where the technology industry lays the groundwork to be the saviors of COP30 in Belem, Brazil. With COP less than two months away, the report provides a powerful framing for those curious about the industrial dynamics in the region, and the ontological logic underpinning them.
Green Screen Coalition
Shared topics: Governance and society; Energy and electricity; Climate and greenhouse gases; Weather, hazards, and adaptation
In this episode, Catherine Drysdale chats with David, a developer with a passion for using tech to solve real problems. From building interactive climate simulations to transforming wildfire risk data into actionable tools, David shares how impactful tech isn’t always about what you build, but who you build it for. He also reflects on AI’s potential, its energy demands, and why regulation and innovation must go hand in hand.
open.spotify.com
Shared topics: Governance and society; Energy and electricity; Climate and greenhouse gases; Weather, hazards, and adaptation
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change in federal policy-making. While AI can aid in climate resilience and boost economic competitiveness, it is also on a trajectory to increase energy demand, greenhouse gas emissions, and water usage. This paradox presents an important opportunity for discussion on how to best minimize the negative impacts of AI on the environment and harness its powers for a sustainable future.
youtube.com
Shared topics: Governance and society; Energy and electricity; Climate and greenhouse gases; Weather, hazards, and adaptation
ICEF develops roadmaps on how key innovative technologies can contribute to a transition to clean energy. Roadmaps consider industrial, academic and governmental perspectives to identify a realistic, fact-based pathway and meaningfully inform the work of all stakeholders.
