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Digital technologies, infrastructure and radical breakthroughs such as artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly critical to addressing the planetary crisis encompassing climate change, biodiversity loss and air pollution. Yet, the same digital products, services and ‘digital way of life’ that are now integral to economic prosperity, service delivery and communication for billions of people are also exacerbating environmental risks like global warming and freshwater shortage because of the natural resource-intensive value chain of the digital ecosystem, ranging from the insatiable demand and ‘race to the bottom’ for raw material like the minerals that power semiconductors to the huge quantities of electricity and water that are required to run and ‘cool’ the data centers. AI models are also not neutral; it can exacerbate existing power dynamics, data inequality or unsustainable consumption behaviors. Harnessing the benefits of AI while minimising its environmentally harmful effects is an urgent task that requires collective action by all key stakeholders: governments, development partners, business, civil society institutions, academia, Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The scale of the challenge and the whole-of-society effort required to overcome it cannot be achieved without active collaboration with and among Member States, particularly in the Global South.

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Global momentum for responsible, inclusive AI has accelerated in recent months. Notably, following the adoption of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) in 2024, at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in June 2025, over 50 leaders from governments, international organizations, industry, and civil society endorsed the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs – a landmark commitment to ensure AI is developed and used in an equitable, transparent, and sustainable manner. The Hamburg Declaration emphasizes environmental sustainability and inclusion, with a call to empower developing economies in the AI era. It reflects a growing international consensus that AI and digital innovation need to be leveraged responsibly, inclusively, and sustainably, aligned with the five pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships. The Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES), with a network of 16,000+ practitioners around the world, provides a global multi-stakeholder platform to align digital transformation with environmental sustainability.

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Participants will also be able to network with other community members at the intersection of digital innovation, sustainability, and policy.

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Event deliverables:

1. To share solution examples and lessons learnt on the use of AI for environmental action, especially policy implications for governments to consider, such as the importance of Digital Public Infrastructure and data governance.
2. To update on latest findings, standardization efforts and policy solutions for directing the AI technology discourse to mitigate environmental impact, especially on the emerging issue of water consumption.
3. Discuss partnership opportunities, concepts and initiatives for COP30 and other upcoming major forums, including the UN Water Conference, UNEA, etc.

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Time & Format: 9:00 - 11:00 am NY Time, Sep 23, 2025

Location: (Online attendees only): *Participants will receive additional VR login information later.

REGISTER HERE