The Future of AI: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change the World

By Vivek Saini 

In the face of the triple challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and waste, it is crucial to measure what we aspire to control. Although there is an abundance of climate data, the essence lies in our ability to access, interpret, and respond to this information effectively. Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a pivotal force in tackling these crises, offering a key role in navigating the complexities of climate-related data and facilitating informed responses to the urgent environmental issues at hand.

WESR: Earth’s Watchtower – Tracking Climate Change and Beyond in Real-Time

In 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Situation Room (WESR) emerged as a digital platform harnessing the power of AI to analyze intricate and diverse datasets. With support from a consortium of partners, WESR meticulously compiles, aggregates, and visually presents the most reliable earth observation and sensor data. This facilitates near real-time analysis and future predictions on factors such as atmospheric CO2 concentration, changes in glacier mass, and sea level rise.

David Jensen, coordinator of the United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP’s) Digital Transformation sub-programme,  states, “WESR is evolving into a user-friendly, demand-responsive platform that channels data into government offices, classrooms, Mayor’s offices, and boardrooms.” Emphasizing the need for credible, trustworthy, and independent data to guide decisions and promote transparency, he asserts that WESR fulfils this crucial role.

IMEO: Hunting Down Methane – AI’s Weapon Against Climate Warming

Within the WESR digital ecosystem, a UNEP-led initiative, the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), utilises AI to transform the monitoring and mitigation of methane emissions. IMEO is a worldwide public database featuring empirically verified methane emission data. AI plays a pivotal role in strategically linking this information with efforts in science, transparency, and policy, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Source: IMEO/UNEP

Jensen highlights that IMEO’s technology facilitates collecting and integrating diverse methane emissions data streams, establishing a global public record of verified methane emissions with unparalleled accuracy and granularity.

UNEP, in collaboration with IQAir, has co-founded the GEMS Air Pollution Monitoring platform, the world’s largest global air quality information network. With data aggregated from over 25,000 air quality monitoring stations across 140+ countries, IQAir employs AI to provide insights into the real-time impact of air quality on populations, aiding in formulating health protection measures.

Jensen emphasizes that these platforms empower private and public sectors to utilize data and digital technologies, accelerating global environmental efforts and disrupting traditional business practices. He envisions their potential to contribute to systemic change at an unprecedented speed and scale.

Beyond Monitoring: AI Footprint Tracking and the Green Future of E-Commerce

AI is crucial in calculating the environmental and climate footprints of products, aiding in comprehensive assessments across lifecycles and supply chains. This empowers businesses and consumers to make well-informed decisions, which is essential for sustainable practices on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Shopify, or Alibaba, according to Jensen.

While data and AI enhance environmental monitoring, it’s essential to consider the ecological cost of processing this data. Jensen notes that the ICT sector, responsible for 3-4% of emissions, and data centers, which use significant water for cooling, contribute to this impact. Initiatives like the CODES Action Plan for a Sustainable Planet in the Digital Age are addressing this within the framework of the UN Secretary General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.

Addressing the concern of e-waste, Jensen highlights UNEP research advocating for reduced consumption, proper recycling of electronic goods, and repairing those that can be fixed as essential measures, especially considering that only 17.4% of e-waste is currently recycled and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. The UN Global E-waste Monitor report projects e-waste to reach almost 75 million metric tonnes by 2030.

UNEP’s research emphasizes vital strategies to address electronic waste, urging consumers to actively participate in reducing its impact. This includes adopting practices such as reducing overall consumption, prioritizing electronic goods recycling, and repairing items that can be fixed. These actions contribute to a more sustainable approach to managing electronic waste and align with efforts to create a more environmentally responsible consumption pattern.

References:

1. https://data.unep.org/
2. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-artificial-intelligence-helping-tackle-environmental-challenges
3. https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/energy/what-we-do/methane/imeo
4. https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/air/what-we-do/monitoring-air-quality/gems-air-strategic-plan
5. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/38482/CODES_ActionPlan.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y
6. https://www.un.org/en/content/digital-cooperation-roadmap/
7. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/2021-years-e-waste-outweigh-great-wall-of-china/
8. https://ewastemonitor.info/gem-2020/
9. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/7587/e_waste_infog_en.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y
10.  Image source

https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/energy/what-we-do/methane/imeo

Banner image: https://data.unep.org/article-category/browse-topic