AI is dominating the conversation at Climate Week

This year, the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) dominates discussions during Climate Week in Manhattan. World leaders and stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, advocates, and journalists, gather for panels, talks, and events. Participants grapple with AI's impact on climate change and climate technology, weighing its potential benefits against potential drawbacks.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted AI's potential to address climate challenges, but also warned of the risks it could amplify. The UN Environment Program's recent report found that the world has nearly missed its target of limiting warming to less than 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels, emphasizing the urgent need for drastic emissions reductions and carbon removal.

The energy demands of AI have led to increased investment and attention in low- or zero-emissions energy technologies. Notable startups in nuclear, geothermal, wind, and solar sectors have partnered with tech giants like Google and Meta to power their data centers. Global climate-tech investment reached $26 billion in the first half of 2026, a 55% increase from the previous year, with data center products and services making up a significant portion.

However, not all sectors are benefiting from the AI surge. Carbon management and low-carbon fuel investments have dropped this year. Despite these challenges, some experts remain optimistic. MIT's VP of energy and climate, Evelyn Wang, believes AI could help discover new catalysts, and data centers won't continue to harm the environment for long—around a decade at most.

Nevertheless, natural gas development is expanding to meet the power demands of new data centers, contributing to pollution and noise. This growing skepticism among climate sector stakeholders suggests many view AI leaders with caution. UN climate chief Simon Stiell emphasized that tech titans must demonstrate the benefits of AI outweighing its costs to the majority, not just a select few.