COP31 Presidency Announces AI Energy Use Pledge Ahead Of Antalya Summ

The COP31 presidency has announced a new initiative aimed at addressing the rapidly growing energy demand of artificial intelligence (AI), with Türkiye seeking international support for a political pledge on climate-responsible AI.

The Antalya Pledge on Artificial Intelligence is being developed ahead of the COP31 climate summit, which will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. The initiative is being developed in cooperation with the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with a draft expected to be released before the summit.

What Is The Antalya Pledge On AI?

The proposed pledge is intended to encourage governments and technology companies to align the development and deployment of AI infrastructure with global climate goals.

According to the COP31 presidency, the initiative will examine how AI is designed, procured, powered, deployed, measured and managed in ways that support climate action. However, details about the final commitments and potential signatories have not yet been released.

COP31 President and Türkiye’s Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said the growing energy consumption of AI needs greater public discussion.

“We must openly discuss AI’s growing energy consumption,” Kurum said, adding that governments need to start setting the terms and companies should be transparent about their energy use and power their operations with clean energy.

Focus On Data Centres And Clean Energy

AI systems rely heavily on data centres, which require large amounts of electricity for computing, cooling and other infrastructure.

The COP31 initiative is expected to encourage greater transparency around the energy consumption of AI operations and promote the use of clean energy to power data centres.

The move comes as the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure raises concerns over electricity demand, emissions and pressure on power grids.

UN Climate Chief Raises Concerns

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell has also warned about the environmental costs associated with the rapid expansion of AI.

He has called on technology companies to establish credible climate targets, disclose their energy use and increase the use of renewable energy to power data centres.

The International Energy Agency has projected that greenhouse gas emissions from data centres’ electricity consumption could more than double between 2024 and 2030, highlighting the growing climate significance of the sector.

COP31 To Focus On Wider Climate Action

The AI initiative will form part of a broader COP31 agenda focused on turning existing climate commitments into measurable action.

Türkiye has also announced a target to increase electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35% by 2035, alongside initiatives focused on clean energy, waste reduction, climate-resilient cities and green industrialisation.

The COP31 summit in Antalya is expected to bring governments, businesses and other stakeholders together to discuss how AI and other emerging technologies can be developed while limiting their environmental impact.