Brief Author Note

This past week was wild! I ended up attending some AI and energy related panels at the WBG and IMF Annual Meetings held in DC. Imposter Syndrome was a real thing that I had to deal with as I stepped into the panel rooms just to listen and take notes. 😀 

There was a lot of discussion surronding AI, data centers, and the potential benefits as well as risks for countries around the world. The overall stance was that every country is going to need data center infrastructure at the end of the day. This could explain the almost desperate push to build out data centers all over the world.

We live in interesting times! I disagree with that earlier perspective given the environmental impacts of all these data centers and AI model deployment that we need to work out first. Plus, if AI is a bubble at the end of the day, did we sink trillions of dollars into data center capital for no reason?

Cya later, alligator! 🐊 

Nate

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AI, Climate Change, Energy and Regulations: David Sheehy on the Future of Tech (AI & Energy): Developer David Sheehy joins Catherine Drysdale to explore how technology can tackle real-world environmental problems from building interactive climate simulations to creating tools that translate wildfire data into action. The discussion dives into AI’s growing energy footprint and the urgent need to align innovation with effective regulation.

Hot Topics Impacting the COPs: AI, an Advisory Opinion, and Misinformation (AI & Policy/ESG): In this episode of Climate Talks, Stephen Minas, Rohan Nanthakumar, and Alfie Chadwick unpack three emerging issues shaping international climate negotiations: AI’s influence on global governance, the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, and the escalating threat of climate misinformation ahead of the COPs.

Modeling Our Climate Future with Andreas Prein (AI & Climate Science): Atmospheric scientist Andreas Prein offers a deep dive into how AI is transforming weather and climate modeling from fine-tuning local predictions to understanding the limits of machine learning in extreme event attribution. The conversation reveals both the power and the pitfalls of AI-driven approaches to simulating Earth’s complex systems.

Beyond the Hype: Navigating the Conservation Implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI & Ecology/Biodiversity): Chris Sandbrook’s Society for Conservation Biology paper critically examines the growing enthusiasm around AI in conservation. It highlights how algorithmic tools can enhance efficiency and monitoring yet warns against overreliance, bias, and hidden environmental costs. The authors call for greater transparency, risk assessment, and safeguards to ensure AI supports rather than undermines conservation values and workers.

CloudHeat: An Efficient Online Market Mechanism for Datacenter Heat Harvesting (AI & Data Centers/Hardware/Models): Chen et al. introduce CloudHeat, an innovative auction-based framework that lets data centers sell their waste heat to district heating systems. The paper demonstrates how a randomized, truthfulness-guaranteed mechanism can balance operational efficiency with environmental and economic gains offering a glimpse into how data infrastructure can integrate circular energy models.

Geographical Server Relocation: Opportunities and Challenges (AI & Data Centers/Hardware/Models): Liu et al. explore Geographical Server Relocation (GSR), a method for redistributing AI workloads and hardware across regions based on renewable energy supply, cooling efficiency, and grid costs. By relocating older servers to greener regions, GSR can reduce emissions and expenses, though implementation hurdles like migration logistics and software optimization remain significant.

UN General Assembly Resolution for Establishment and Functioning of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance (AI Policy & Governance): Adopted in August 2025, this landmark UN resolution establishes an independent scientific panel on AI to foster evidence-based policymaking and global coordination. It formalizes a multilateral dialogue on AI governance, emphasizing ethical standards, transparency, and equitable participation from developing nations.

Harnessing AI in Sustainability: Emerging Use Cases (AI & Sustainability): Published by BSR, this report highlights practical examples of how companies are applying AI to advance sustainability goals. It examines use cases across supply chains, energy optimization, and emissions tracking, outlining both opportunities and governance gaps as AI becomes a core enabler of corporate ESG strategies.

Data Centers, Decarbonization, and the Circular Economy: Strategies for Sustainable Operations (AI & Infrastructure): Produced by Songbird Capital, this policy paper explores how data centers can align with circular economy principles through renewable integration, waste heat recovery, and hardware reuse. It offers a framework for decarbonizing digital infrastructure while maintaining reliability and performance in the AI era.

Beneath the Cloud, AI at Ground Level: How to Report on the Impact of Data Centers (AI & Environmental Impact): This Lighthouse Reports panel brings together journalists investigating the environmental and social consequences of Big Tech’s global data center expansion. The discussion offers guidance on how to uncover the hidden costs of AI infrastructure from energy use to local water stress without needing a technical background.

Data Center Convos: Part 2 (AI & Environmental Impact): This community-centered discussion examines the rapid growth of data centers across the Mid-Atlantic and their environmental implications. Featuring Julie Bolthouse, Angie McCarthy, and David Arndt, the panel explores how citizens and advocates are pushing for greater transparency and reform in data center policy and planning.

Is AI Throwing Climate Change Under the Bus? (AI & Climate Policy): Hosted by Inside Climate News, this conversation unpacks how the new administration’s tech and energy policies could reshape the climate agenda. Reporters discuss Texas’s renewable energy paradox, community reactions to nearby data centers, and how corporate climate commitments might evolve in an AI-driven economy.

Greencode Ventures (AI & Policy/ESG): Based in Europe, Greencode Ventures invests in early-stage, digital-first startups driving the green transition. The firm focuses on ambitious founders building scalable solutions for energy efficiency, circular economy models, and sustainable technology innovation across the continent.

Origin Energy (AI & Energy): Headquartered in Australia, Origin Energy is one of the nation’s largest integrated energy companies, serving over four million customers. Guided by its purpose of “getting energy right for our customers, communities, and planet,” Origin is expanding its portfolio across renewables, AI-enabled energy management, and decarbonization technologies.

EthonAI (AI & Circular Economy): Operating across Europe, EthonAI provides an Industrial AI Platform that helps manufacturers optimize production quality, cost, and speed. By combining proprietary AI models with robust data infrastructure, EthonAI enables factories to automate insights, maintain process stability, and strengthen supply chain resilience through circular innovation.

AI Footprint Calculator (AI & Sustainability): Developed by Aleksi Tukiainen at Climate Aligned, this free tool helps users estimate the environmental footprint of AI models through energy, water, and carbon metrics. It provides a transparent way to understand the resource intensity of model training and deployment.

IBM–NASA Prithvi Models Family (AI & Climate & Extreme Weather): A suite of foundation models hosted on Hugging Face that combine IBM and NASA’s expertise in geospatial and climate science. These models support applications in Earth observation, weather prediction, and environmental monitoring, offering both open and fine-tuned options for research and applied use.

IBM–ESA Geospatial (AI & Geospatial Analysis): A collaborative series of foundation models from IBM and the European Space Agency designed for satellite imagery and Earth observation. The models enable users to analyze land, water, and atmospheric data to drive insights into planetary change and sustainability planning.

Ethics and Technology Practitioner Fellowship (Global / Mid-career professionals in tech ethics) (Open to applicants working in applied ethics & technology): This non-residential, year-long fellowship (Jan 2026–Dec 2026) at McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, Stanford University supports 12-15 practitioners with a $15,000 stipend, project funding, and mentorship. Projects must produce a deliverable (policy brief, tool, convening) and align with themes like meritocracy in automation or overlooked populations in emerging tech. 📆 Deadline: November 14, 2025.

BIDMaP Postdoctoral Fellows Program (USA – California / Early-career researchers with PhDs) (Open to applicants working at the interface of AI, physical sciences & planetary challenges): Hosted by Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet (BIDMaP) at University of California, Berkeley, this 2-year fellowship (with potential 3rd year renewal) invites recent doctoral grads (PhD around June 2022–July 2026) from computing, statistics, chemistry or materials science. Fellows collaborate across AI/ML and natural sciences to address clean energy, water, advanced materials, and climate change. 📆 First-round applications due November 15, 2025.

AI  Policy  Clinic  Spring  2026 (Global / Early-to-mid-career professionals in AI policy) (Open to applicants from under-represented regions): Organized by Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), this program draws participants from around the world (especially Africa, Asia, Latin America, MENA) into a policy-clinic cohort. Applicants engage in AI regulation, research, writing and policy analysis. 📆 Deadline: December 2, 2025.

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That’s it for this week.

Thanks for reading the 22nd issue of The Climate Code! It means a lot to me and we have more coming in the future, so definitely stick around! 💚 

Nate

P.S.

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