CODES (Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability)

🎤 🌍 How do we ensure the #Planet has a seat at the #AI governance table?   This question brought together experts from governments, international organizations, academia, civil society, youth networks, and the private sector at the #𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗜 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, held on 8 July 2026 in Geneva at the margins of the first UN #GlobalDialogue on AI Governance, #WSIS Forum 2026 and #AI4Good.   As global discussions on AI governance continue to evolve, participants reflected on an important challenge: while progress has been made, environmental sustainability still requires stronger and more systematic attention within AI governance processes. The discussion highlighted several key messages: ✅ 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 - encompassing not only energy use and emissions, but also resource consumption, water use, e-waste, inclusivity, and broader environmental and societal impacts. ✅ 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, translating standards, methodologies and governance approaches into measurable action. ✅ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, including energy-efficient data centres, local impact assessments for new infrastructure, resource-efficient networks, reduced e-waste and enhanced circularity, and the application of internationally recognized standards. ✅ 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, but more scalable and visible examples with tangible benefits are needed, particularly in the Global South. ✅ 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. Continued collaboration across sectors and disciplines will be essential to align digital transformation with sustainable development and climate goals.   A big #ThankYou to all speakers and participants for contributing their expertise and helping advance this important conversation. We look forward to continuing the dialogue and turning these discussions into action. Dirk Messner, Prof. Dr. Golestan (Sally) Radwan Tomas Lamanauskas Veysel S. Ambassador Philip Thigo, MBS Vanessa McBride Dr. Sasha Luccioni 🦋 Reina Otsuka Marcel Dorsch Boris Gamazaychikov Leona Isabelle Verdadero Luis Neves Andrea Grippa Felix Dijkstal Robin Zuercher Peter Freudenstein Theresa Zueger Mario Fernandez Helene Costa de Beauregard Bjorn-Soren Gigler, PhD Marta Koch Gaurav Godhwani Derick Adil Didier Beloin-Saint-Pierre Guilherme Canela Jean-Manuel Canet Laura Cyron Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva Dr. Pavan Duggal Taeyoon Kim, PhD Teoman Sanalan Ulrike Pokorski CODES (Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability) International Telecommunication Union Coalition for Sustainable AI

Digital technologies, including AI and Digital Public Infrastructure, are becoming central to sustainable development. They can strengthen energy systems, improve public services and build resilience, but their rapid growth is also increasing demand for electricity, water, critical minerals and computing capacity.   As we approach 2030, this tension deserves greater attention. Around US$7 trillion could be invested in data centres and computing infrastructure, including more than US$5 trillion linked to AI. Yet developing economies may capture only around 10 per cent of AI’s projected US$15.7 trillion in global value.   The challenge is to ensure the digital transition advances sustainable development without adding new environmental pressures or widening inequality.   On Thursday, 16 July, I will be speaking at the High-level Political Forum side event, Advancing Digital Environmental Sustainability for SDG Implementation: Aligning the Global Digital Compact with the HLPF, at UN Headquarters in New York.   I will also be sharing insights from UNDP’s latest publication, The Energy Sprint of the AI Race, which explores how countries can align AI, energy, infrastructure, skills and natural resources to capture the opportunities of the digital transition.   We will discuss how AI, Digital Public Infrastructure and other innovations can accelerate the SDGs while managing their environmental footprint, and how the Global Digital Compact can support a more sustainable Beyond 2030 agenda.   Digital transformation and sustainable development must move together so that technology creates jobs, strengthens resilience and improves lives.   📅Date: Thursday, 16 July 2026 🕐Time: 13:15–14:30 ET 📍Venue: UN Headquarters, Conference Room 4, New York

📍 Join us today at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum 2026 for a side event on digital environmental sustainability and SDG implementation, hosted by CODES (Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability) and the International Science Council. Digital technologies, including AI, Digital Public Infrastructure and smart systems, can become powerful accelerators of sustainable development. But this requires governance frameworks that ensure innovation remains inclusive, rights-based and aligned with planetary boundaries, while actively addressing the growing energy, water, material and e-waste footprints of digitalization. 📅 Thursday, 16 July 2026 🕐 13:15–14:30 ET 📍 United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 4, New York 👉 Get the full details here: https://lnkd.in/gE4bQZrS #HLPF2026 #DigitalTransformation #SDGs #SustainableDevelopment #UN

Can we scale AI and digital tech without draining our planet's resources? As we meet at the UN High-Level Political Forum (#HLPF2026) in New York, the CODES (Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability) has released a critical new Policy Brief: "Aligning the Global Digital Compact with the Sustainability Agenda." This brief highlights a massive tension in our global development goals: 🔋 Energy: Data centers are projected to consume ~945 TWh of electricity by 2030 (approx. 3% of global electricity). 💧 Water: Semiconductor fabrication and data center cooling require massive amounts of ultrapure water—with chip manufacturing alone consuming 751 million cubic meters globally. 💻 The Paradox: Digital tools are essential for achieving the SDGs, but their environmental footprints directly strain SDG 6 (Water), SDG 7 (Energy), and SDG 9 (Infrastructure). Key Takeaways: 1. Resolve the Implementation Gap: We must move Paragraph 73 of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) from paper to action. This means systematically integrating digital impacts into HLPF processes and Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). 2. Build a Digital-Ready "Beyond 2030" Architecture: do we need a hybrid framework—combining a dedicated digital SDG with cross-cutting, goal-specific targets? 3. Invest in Digital Planetary Intelligence: quality environmental data is the key to transparently monitor SDG progress. We cannot afford to treat digital governance and sustainable development as separate tracks. They are the two defining transformations of our era. 📖 Read the official policy brief: https://lnkd.in/gNtabKN7 👉 Join our HLPF side event: Thursday, 16 July 2026, 13:15 - 14:30 ET at UN Headquarters, Conference Room 4 More details: https://lnkd.in/gE4bQZrS #HLPF2026 #DigitalTransformation #SDGs #SustainableDevelopment #UN

Can we scale AI and digital tech without draining our planet's resources? As we meet at the UN High-Level Political Forum (#HLPF2026) in New York, the CODES (Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability) has released a critical new Policy Brief: "Aligning the Global Digital Compact with the Sustainability Agenda." This brief highlights a massive tension in our global development goals: 🔋 Energy: Data centers are projected to consume ~945 TWh of electricity by 2030 (approx. 3% of global electricity). 💧 Water: Semiconductor fabrication and data center cooling require massive amounts of ultrapure water—with chip manufacturing alone consuming 751 million cubic meters globally. 💻 The Paradox: Digital tools are essential for achieving the SDGs, but their environmental footprints directly strain SDG 6 (Water), SDG 7 (Energy), and SDG 9 (Infrastructure). Key Takeaways: 1. Resolve the Implementation Gap: We must move Paragraph 73 of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) from paper to action. This means systematically integrating digital impacts into HLPF processes and Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). 2. Build a Digital-Ready "Beyond 2030" Architecture: do we need a hybrid framework—combining a dedicated digital SDG with cross-cutting, goal-specific targets? 3. Invest in Digital Planetary Intelligence: quality environmental data is the key to transparently monitor SDG progress. We cannot afford to treat digital governance and sustainable development as separate tracks. They are the two defining transformations of our era. 📖 Read the official policy brief: https://lnkd.in/gNtabKN7 👉 Join our HLPF side event: Thursday, 16 July 2026, 13:15 - 14:30 ET at UN Headquarters, Conference Room 4 More details: https://lnkd.in/gE4bQZrS #HLPF2026 #DigitalTransformation #SDGs #SustainableDevelopment #UN