Using Synthetic Intelligence (AI) takes up a lot dialogue in sectors that vary from well being care to agriculture. However considerations about its affect on the atmosphere haven’t attracted a lot dialogue. In keeping with an OECD working paper, “Measuring the Environmental Impacts of Synthetic Intelligence Compute and Functions”, the event of AI algorithms comes with sure environmental prices corresponding to an elevated carbon footprint which exacerbates local weather change-related challenges. The report says that the worldwide ICT business (together with {hardware} corresponding to televisions) is estimated to be answerable for 1.8%-2.8% of worldwide greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions; different calculations have a determine as excessive as 2.1%-3.9%.
It’s price noting that knowledge concerning the carbon footprint of AI fashions and their use aren’t at all times genuine. A Google report (August 2025) claims {that a} single textual content AI immediate consumes electrical energy of solely 0.24 watt-hours. What might appear to be low ranges of electrical energy consumption has additionally drawn criticism for the report’s incomplete and deceptive conclusions.
Impression on the atmosphere
In September 2024, a difficulty be aware by the United Nations Surroundings Programme (UNEP), on the environmental affect of the total AI life cycle, mentioned that home AI servers might utilise 4.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) to six.6 bcm of water in 2027, resulting in water shortage. The be aware additionally refers to a research which signifies that coaching a single Giant Language Mannequin (LLM) can generate virtually 3,00,000 kilograms of carbon emissions.
Equally, a research, “Vitality and Coverage Issues for Deep Studying in NLP” (June 2019), has assessed that the coaching of a single giant AI mannequin entails the emission of over 6,26,000 kilos of carbon dioxide. That is equal to emissions brought on by 5 vehicles of their lifespan. A have a look at the vitality consumption in using ChatGPT, a broadly used AI digital Assistant, helps perceive how AI algorithms affect the atmosphere and contribute in direction of local weather change. In keeping with a research, “Navigating New Horizons” (UNEP, July 15, 2024), any request made by way of ChatGPT results in vitality consumption that’s 10 occasions greater than what it might be by way of a Google search.
Options, the world versus India
In 2021, UNESCO launched its “Advice on the Ethics of Synthetic Intelligence”, which emphasised recognising the “destructive impacts of AI on societies, atmosphere”. These non-binding suggestions have been adopted by round 190 nations. The US and the European Union (EU) look like the outstanding jurisdictions which have proposed laws coping with the environmental affect of AI, because the Synthetic Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act of 2024 and The European Union’s decision on harmonized AI guidelines.
Since there are international conversations concerning the carbon value of AI use and deployment, India additionally must recognise the environmental prices of growing AI fashions. Present discussions now on AI and local weather change are on how AI may help shield the atmosphere, however with out going into the demerits of growing giant AI algorithms.
Step one to handle this problem is to hold out an train to measure the environmental impacts of growing and deploying AI fashions. In India, an Environmental Impression Evaluation (EIA) is necessary as within the EIA Notification, 2006. Whereas an EIA is commonly performed to guage initiatives regarding the atmosphere corresponding to river water initiatives, its scope could be prolonged to incorporate assessing the affect of improvement of AI algorithms on the atmosphere.
The federal government might additionally give attention to the institution of measuring requirements as a way to assess AI’s affect. It may be carried out by involving stakeholders corresponding to tech corporations which can be growing large-scale AI algorithms, assume tanks, and non-governmental organisations which can be working towards decreasing carbon footprints and mitigating different environment-related challenges. This may assist in constructing consensus on terminology, requirements, and constant indicators and reporting necessities, finally resulting in knowledgeable coverage selections.
One other important train is knowledge assortment which could be carried out by deploying sustainability metrics corresponding to GHG emissions, vitality, water and pure assets consumption which can be utilised by AI algorithms. Environmental prices past vitality, such because the impacts on freshwater and land use, may be evaluated.
As part of disclosure requirements
The federal government may also discover the potential for making the environmental affect of growing and deploying AI fashions as a part of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure requirements by the Ministry of Company Affairs and Safety and the Securities and Alternate Board of India. It could take inspiration from the EU, as its Company Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) framework requires the disclosure of emissions knowledge from knowledge centres and excessive compute actions, which incorporates coaching of LLMs.
The main focus ought to shift to together with AI as part of options towards international sustainability targets. There are a number of AI sustainable practices that may be adopted to mitigate the hostile affect of AI on the atmosphere corresponding to deploying pre-trained fashions, utilizing renewable assets to energy knowledge centres, and reporting AI-specific estimates.
Amar Patnaik is a lawyer and founding accomplice of A&N Authorized Options LLP, a former CAG bureaucrat and a former Member of Parliament within the Rajya Sabha.
Printed – January 14, 2026 12:08 am IST
