At the Met Office, we face a major challenge: balancing artificial intelligence (AI) with environmental sustainability. Every step we take, whether it’s developing new technologies or supporting our customers, impacts our mission to be carbon neutral by 2030. Today, let’s dive into the concept of Green AI and its double-edged sword—it can aid in the fight against climate change, but it also comes with significant environmental costs.
Our dedication to sustainability is a core value. As a key player in global climate research, we understand how greenhouse gases affect our planet. Our commitment appears in our goal to eliminate carbon emissions by 2030. This pledge aligns with initiatives like the UK’s ‘Greening Government: ICT and Digital Services Strategy 2020-2025,’ focusing on digital sustainability.
Green IT—designing tech in an eco-friendly way—is not a new concept. However, with the rise of AI, we face fresh challenges. For instance, the global energy demand for AI is predicted to grow tenfold by 2026, equating to the energy consumption of a small country like Belgium (Ren & Wierman, 2024). Even more startling, a single query to systems like ChatGPT uses ten times the electricity of a basic Google search (Cherry, 2025).
This creates a paradox: while AI has potential to address climate issues and enhance resilience to extreme weather (Bolón-Canedo et al., 2024), it might also worsen energy consumption and carbon emissions (Elsworth et al., 2025). Experts now use the term “Green AI” to denote the need for environmental consideration in AI applications (Alzoubi & Mishra, 2024).
Finding a balance is challenging. What should we factor in when assessing the environmental cost of AI? Hardware, development, training, or execution? The questions are many, and answers are still unclear—yet we can’t just sit back. As AI tools promise to revolutionize weather forecasts and climate models, we must be vigilant about the environmental impact.
At the Met Office, we’re exploring Green AI strategies that build on our experience with Green IT. Our supercomputer collects vast amounts of weather data, and since 2020, it has operated on zero-carbon energy, saving over 15,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. This computer helps us refine weather forecasts, enabling communities to prepare for extreme weather and adapt to climate change—benefits that outweigh its energy use.
Moving forward, we’re committed to harnessing AI responsibly. As we innovate, we’ll prioritize the well-being of our planet. After all, leading in technology should not mean compromising our future. Together, we can create solutions that contribute to both progress and sustainability.
For more on our work with AI, check out the Met Office and AI.
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