NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has presented a draft resolution to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) seeking to make environmental sustainability a central consideration in the global governance of artificial intelligence (AI).
The proposal, titled “Safe, Responsible and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and Planet,” was introduced by Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology.
Thigo said the draft resolution aims to ensure that as AI advances, it does so responsibly — by reducing its environmental footprint while accelerating climate action, biodiversity protection, and pollution reduction.
“This resolution seeks to ensure that as AI advances, it does so responsibly — reducing its environmental footprint while accelerating climate action, biodiversity protection, and pollution reduction,” said Thigo.
If adopted, the resolution would make Kenya one of the first countries to formally push for environmental accountability in AI development, amid global concern over the rising energy use and resource demands of emerging technologies.
Green AI and Environmental Viability
Kenya’s proposal emphasizes the concept of “Green AI” — systems designed and deployed with minimal environmental impact.
The draft resolution calls for energy-efficient algorithms, renewable-powered computing infrastructure, and circular hardware design that reduces electronic waste.
The initiative adopts what Thigo termed a “dual imperative”: to harness AI for environmental restoration while minimizing the ecological costs of AI systems throughout their lifecycle — from raw material extraction and manufacturing to energy consumption and disposal.
Support for Developing Countries
The draft also highlights the need for capacity building and financial support to ensure developing nations can participate equitably in the AI era.
“The resolution recognizes that developing countries require capacity, data infrastructure, and financial support to participate equitably in the AI era,” Thigo said. “It therefore calls for coordinated action across the AI stack — data, compute, talent, and use cases — anchored in environmental integrity.”
Kenya, which has faced repeated climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods, argues that AI can play a crucial role in climate adaptation and disaster-risk reduction if developed and deployed responsibly.
Global Oversight and UNEP Report
Under the proposal, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) would be tasked with preparing a Global Stocktake Report before UNEA-8 in 2026.
The report would assess AI’s environmental impacts based on national data and stakeholder inputs, providing an evidence base for future global policy.
The draft also urges the inclusion of environmental sustainability in AI safety and ethics frameworks, including voluntary global guidelines on sustainable AI governance.
AI’s Environmental Footprint Under Scrutiny
The resolution comes amid mounting global scrutiny over the environmental cost of AI.
Data centres powering AI systems consume vast amounts of electricity and water while generating significant electronic waste.
Many rely on rare minerals mined unsustainably, raising further ecological concerns.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centres consumed 1.5% of global electricity in 2024 — a figure expected to grow sharply as AI applications expand.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that AI’s rapid growth could undermine climate goals unless governments invest in renewable energy to meet rising demand.
“Governments must aim to meet all new electricity demand with renewables,” Guterres said in the 2025 UN Energy Transition Report. “AI can boost efficiency, innovation, and resilience in energy systems — but it is also energy-hungry. A typical AI data centre uses as much electricity as 100,000 homes.”
UNEA-7, to be held in Nairobi from December 8 to 12, will bring together governments and global stakeholders to address environmental degradation and explore pathways for a more sustainable future — with AI’s environmental impact now on the agenda.
