Artificial Intelligence (AI) end-to-end: The Environmental Impact of the Full AI Lifecycle Needs to be Comprehensively Assessed

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment with a mandate to keep under review the world environmental situation. Against this mandate, UNEP has been requested by UN Member States to consider the environmental dimensions of digital technologies, assessing their opportunities to enable environmental sustainability and the impact they can have on the environment. This note outlines key areas identified by UNEP regarding the environmental impact of Artificial intelligence (AI) across its lifecycle. The note aims to inform Member States, civil society, the private sector and the public, while encouraging the research community to develop and use scientific methods to allow the objective measurement of AI’s environmental footprint.