On November 4, 2025, CIDOB, in collaboration with Barcelona City Council and the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights (CC4DR), organized a pivotal session titled “The AI Environmental Footprint: Between Hidden Costs and Green Opportunities” at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. This session explored the dual-edged nature of artificial intelligence (AI) in urban contexts, where its potential to enhance sustainability, resource efficiency, and climate action coexists with significant environmental costs. The discussion, featuring experts from UNESCO, the French Ministry of Environment, and ICLEI, emphasized the need for a framework that integrates ethical considerations and sustainability metrics into AI systems. Key topics included the operational energy demands of AI infrastructures like data centers and the risks of exacerbating social inequalities. The results highlighted the importance of inclusive governance and collaborative efforts to ensure AI serves public interests while contributing to greener, resilient cities. This brief reinforces the necessity for responsible AI deployment aligned with global sustainability goals.
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