Topic: 2025 – Artificial Intelligence and Resource Consumption
Country: Italy
Delegate Name: Isabel Santini
Country: Italy
Delegate: Isabel Santini
School: Williamston High School
Committee: UNEP
Topic: Artificial Intelligence and Resource Consumption
The Italian Republic acknowledges the grave environmental consequences AI causes despite its transformative capabilities. AI has significantly grown more prevalent in countries around the world because of its efficiency and versatility in everyday life. Its ability to accurately analyze large amounts of data has made AI very appealing even to governments. However, this potential does not overshadow AI’s ever-increasing demand for electricity, water, and other critical resources that many rely on to live. Unregulated, AI could drastically increase energy use, carbon emissions, and resource depletion, all of which would significantly harm the planet. This consumption highlights the importance of implementing a sustainable and energy efficient plan to protect the environment and reduce the amount of carbon emissions and resource demand.
Italy recognizes AI as a revolutionary tool that has the power to help millions but, because of its severe environmental drawbacks, needs to be closely regulated. Italy pushes for a sustainable and ethical approach for AI in the hopes of obtaining a green future. Through agencies like the Agenzia per I’Italia Digitale (AGID), Italy coordinates and enforces digital technologies including AI policies and sustainability initiatives. The AGID ensures that Italy’s policies surrounding AI align with the EU Coordinated Plan, a guideline that Italy directly follows and supports. The EU Coordinated Plan provides a unified and sustainable framework for AI development to improve energy efficiency and promote low-resource AI models.
Italy would propose addressing the ecological strain caused by AI by promoting an approach that prioritizes environmental sustainability alongside technological advancement. Italy supports the use of energy-efficient AI that would utilize renewable energy like wind and solar power, something that it is already heavily investing in. With this, Italy would also support the funding going towards the research and development of sustainable hardware. Overall, it would promote international cooperation on sustainable artificial intelligence that would adhere to the EU Coordinated Plan on AI. Italy urges other nations to take initiative to help support the prevention of environmental issues caused by AI. Italy expects to find allies in other nations committed to green innovation such as France and Spain.
Works Cited
European Commission. “Italy AI Strategy Report.” https://ai-watch.ec.europa.eu/countries/italy/italy-ai-strategy-report_en.
“ITALIAN STRATEGY FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 2024-2026.” Agid, 22 July 2024, https://www.agid.gov.it/sites/agid/files/2024-07/Italian_strategy_for_artificial_intelligence_2024-2026.pdf. Accessed 23 November 2025.
OECD. “Progress in Implementing the European Union Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence (Volume 1): Italy.” OECD, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/progress-in-implementing-the-european-union-coordinated-plan-on-artificial-intelligence-volume-1_6d530a88-en/italy_d24a6b76-en.html.
Rappresentanza permanente d’Italia presso le Nazioni Unite. “PRESS RELEASE ON THE EVENT ‘Digital Global Compact: for human governance of artificial intelligence.’” 30 January 2025.
