Topic: 2025 – Artificial Intelligence and Resource Consumption
Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Sophia Mahajerin
United Nations Environmental Programme
Artificial Intelligence and Resource Consumption
Federal Republic of Germany
Sophia Mahajerin
Forest Hills Eastern
Artificial Intelligence has evolved rapidly over the last decade, going from a niche resource tool to a central pillar of everyday life. Along with this, its ecological footprint has expanded just as rapidly. In Europe alone, electricity demand and consumption from AI-related data centers is predicted to more than double by 2030. Germany has reported that without regulation, AI-driven computing could increase national energy consumption by hundreds. UNESCO and OECD have both contributed positively by promoting research into lower energy AI sources. UNESCO found that improving training methods can cut energy use by nearly 90%. This topic is crucial for UNEP to address because if left unchecked, global AI expansion could undermine climate goals and resource depletion, especially in countries facing environmental stress. An important part of Germany’s position is the implementation of the EU AI act, which advances ethical standards, environmental protections, and human- centered design. Germany believes AI can be a powerful tool for environmental progress (if developed responsibly), and is committed to ensuring that its growth aligns with global sustainability and UNEP’s vision for the long term.
Germany has already taken significant national and international steps to ensure that AI development aligns with environmental sustainability. The Government’s first AI strategy specifically consolidates climate protection, resource efficiency, and environmental monitoring into AI research priorities. Germany recently boosted funding for environmentally friendly AI applications, such as smart grids, energy-efficient computing systems, and AI supported environmental forecasts. Through its Energy Efficiency Act and the digital strategy, Germany has advanced strict standards for data recording, sourcing renewable energy, and reduced power consumption. Germany has also worked actively alongside the European Union, having played a major role in shaping the EU AI Act. Internationally, Germany works with UNEP, UNESCO, the OECD, and the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) to promote ethical, sustainable, and transparent AI regulations. These actions demonstrate Germany’s long lasting commitment to environmental responsibility and wise digital innovation.
In this committee, Germany pushes for solutions that let countries use AI while still protecting the environment. First, Germany believes UNEP should help create clear standards on an international level, for measuring how much energy and materials AI systems use, so countries can compare their impacts and stay transparent with one another. Germany also supports a UNEP led reporting system where data centers around the world share information about their emissions, energy sources, and cooling methods. To make AI environmentally friendly on a greater scale, Germany encourages investing in more energy-efficient algorithms and data centers powered by renewable energy. Germany also wants to expand global research on how AI can help with climate change improvement, protecting our ecosystems, and managing resources better. Germany believes AI can support global sustainability if countries work together to manage its impact, and use it in a way that truly benefits humanity and the planet.
