COP31 host Türkiye launches AI climate initiative ahead of summit

COP31 host Türkiye unveiled on Monday a “climate-responsible AI” initiative as a push for tech companies to power data centers with clean energy, in what is seen as one of its priorities when it stages the summit in November.

Türkiye, which will host the COP31 climate summit for the first time, launched a push on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to address artificial intelligence’s skyrocketing energy demand through a political pledge that countries would adopt to align their AI infrastructure build-out with global climate goals.

The annual U.N. climate conference is taking place in Antalya, where the hosts are asking countries to support initiatives to tackle emissions from waste, climate-proofing cities and boosting electrification.

On Monday, COP31 President-designate and Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum announced that the summit would also address “growing fears over the rise of artificial intelligence” and its carbon footprint.

“COP31 will meet this moment,” Kurum said in a statement in New York, where he is attending the annual Climate Week event.

“We must openly discuss AI’s growing energy consumption and it is time for governments to start setting the terms. We expect companies to be transparent about their energy use and to power their operations with clean energy.”

A “political pledge” on how AI can support climate goals was being developed with a U.N. agency, and a draft would be unveiled before the summit, the COP31 presidency said.

A second initiative would showcase pilot projects to “demonstrate the responsible use of AI in practice.”

The pledge would be voluntary and not require the approval of the nearly 200 nations that take decisions by consensus during the hard-fought U.N.-sponsored climate summits.

Every year, countries are encouraged by COP hosts to support non-binding pledges on a parallel “action agenda” that is separate from the formal negotiations.

The centerpiece for Türkiye is a new electrification target, raising the global share of energy demand met by electricity to 35% by 2035.

In simple terms, electrification means replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly – such as gas heating systems and diesel vehicles – with electric alternatives.

The 35×35 initiative aims to encourage countries to use clean power, storage and modernize grids and support developing countries as they shift away from ⁠fossil fuels.

Currently, around 20% of the world’s total energy demand is met by electricity. The rest comes mostly from fossil fuels, plus around 10% produced by biofuels and ⁠waste.

The voluntary pledge would also include a global mechanism to track collective progress on electrification.

Türkiye said the COP will have a day dedicated to technology ⁠and AI, and will launch an initiative to develop “a portfolio of AI-enabled clean-technology pilots” that will connect technology developers, industry partners and investors in cars and heat pumps.

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