Why Artificial Intelligence Has Not Stop Climate Change

As the world hangs on a balance while on the look out for the best approach to fight the looming climate crisis; experts have submitted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist countries, especially the developing ones, in tackling climate change.

Referencing a new report from AI for Planet Alliance, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and BCG GAMMA, the specialists observed a strong appetite for the deployment of robotics in tackling global warming, yet organisations encounter problems in achieving impact at scale.

The report however said organisations still face obstacles to achieving impact at scale.

According to the report, “Climate change would have significant impacts on environmental, social, political, and econamic systems around the world. Climate change mitigation along with adaptation and resilience is therefore crucial. Eforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 will be essential, as will efforts to prepare for the consequences of climate change and to minimise the resulting harm. Applying advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (Al) to climate challenges provides a vital way to make meaningful change at this critical moment.”

The report is titled: ‘How AI Can Be a Powerful Tool in the Fight against Climate Change’ stressed that climate change mitigation, along with adaptation and resilience, was crucial.

“Moves to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 are essential, since the will to address the consequences and minimise harms exists, the document said 87 per cent of leaders support the exploitation of advanced analytics to contain the challenge.

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During a webinar organised recently, by AI for the Planet, where the report was dissected, Managing Director/Partner at BCG and BCG GAMMA as well as co-author of the report, Hamid Maher, said: “Artificial Intelligence’s unique capacity to gather, complete and interpret large and complex data sets means it can help stakeholders take a more informed and data-driven approach to combat carbon emissions and address climate risks.”

Maher said based on survey results from over 1,000 executives with decision-making authority on AI or climate-change initiatives, it finds that roughly 40 percent of organizations can envision using AI for their own climate efforts. However, even among these experts, there is widespread agreement that significant barriers to broad adoption remain in place.

“Seventy eight percent of respondents cite insufficient AI expertise as an obstacle to using AI in their climate change efforts, 77 percent cite limited availability of AI solutions as a roadblock, and 67 percent point to a lack of confidence in AI-related data and analysis.

“AI’s unique capacity to gather, complete, and interpret large, complex data sets means it can help stakeholders take a more informed and data-driven approach to combating carbon emissions and addressing climate risks.

“However, most existing AI-related climate solutions are scattered, tend to be difficult to access, and lack the resources to scale. These shortcomings need to change.”

Mitigation is one of the areas Maher said AI can be useful in combating climate change.

He said: “One of the most critical uses of AI is in the measurement, reduction, and removal of emissions and greenhouse gas, GHG effects. More than 60 percent of public- and private-sector leaders see the greatest business value for their organizations in the reduction and measurement of emissions”.

According to BCG, use of AI can drive reductions of 5 percent to 10 percent GHG emissions, or 2.6 to 5.3 gigatons of CO2e if applied globally.

He added that “adapting to climate change is a critical undertaking for policy makers and the public, as it boosts resilience to the effects of both long-term climate trends and extreme weather events.

Also speaking, founder of AI for the Planet and co-author, Damien Gromier, restated that AI has a strong promise to solve the climate crisis, noting that the technology, alone, is not enough.

“It depends on the will of decision-makers to act and make necessary changes – supported in part by Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies,” he added.

Citing cases of the use of Artificial Intelligence in combating climate change, the report noted mitigation. Here, it stressed that one of the most critical uses of Artificial Intelligence is in the measurement, reduction, and removal of emissions and greenhouse gas (GHG) effects.