AI & Environment Resource HubMicrosoft Research · 2026-04-20
Doug Burger, sustainability expert Amy Luers, and optimization researcher Ishai Menache examine the global emissions implications of datacenter operations, efficiency gains, and AI's potential across electrification, materials, and food systems.
Microsoft Research. 2026-04-20. Can We Use Our Way to a More Sustainable World?. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwB5ArIj-vw (AI & Environment Resource Hub; record pod-0190; collection snapshot 2026-09-15).
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Shared topics: Cross-cutting sustainability; Governance and society; Climate and greenhouse gases; Materials and critical minerals
This paper argues that AI's environmental impacts from energy consumption and water use to mineral extraction constitute a global climate justice concern that demands moving beyond efficiency metrics to center the unequal distribution of costs and benefits, particularly in the Global South.
Shared topics: Cross-cutting sustainability; Governance and society; Climate and greenhouse gases; Agriculture and food
Introduces BoreaRL, a multi-objective reinforcement learning environment for climate-adaptive boreal forest management. Boreal forests store 30-40% of terrestrial carbon, much in climate-vulnerable permafrost soils. The authors show carbon sequestration goals are easier to optimize than permafrost preservation, and that effective policies must balance species composition and density to protect permafrost while maintaining carbon gains.
Shared topics: Cross-cutting sustainability; Governance and society; Climate and greenhouse gases; Materials and critical minerals
The potential impact of Artificial Intelligence on our worsening climate crisis is certainly a hot topic, pardon the pun. Fortunately, we have an expert on today’s show to help us make sense of it all. Iuna Tsyrulneva is one of the leading voices in AI and sustainability. Well versed on both topics, Iuna holds a PhD in materials science, and works at Earth Observatory of Singapore with an interdisciplinary approach. She’s full of interesting insights, and brings a dynamic approach to thinking about the larger issue.
Shared topics: Cross-cutting sustainability; Governance and society; Climate and greenhouse gases; Materials and critical minerals
Increasing investment in artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting a larger discussion around sustainability, from the huge demand for electricity to power data centers to the life cycle emissions of hardware needed to enable this technology. Globally, companies and governments are preparing for significant increases in energy use and raw material extraction to meet demand. On the other hand, evolving technology and breakthroughs in AI optimization could lead to lower emissions than previously anticipated. Join us for a discussion about opportunities to decarbonize AI and learn how leaders in the field are navigating the uncertainty.