The Coalition for Sustainable AI: Aligning AI Development with Environmental Responsibility

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) presents both groundbreaking opportunities and significant environmental challenges. Recognizing the need for responsible AI development, France, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have established the Coalition for Sustainable AI—a global, multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to ensuring AI supports sustainability rather than exacerbating environmental harm.

A Shared Vision for Sustainable AI

The Coalition for Sustainable AI, launched at the Paris AI Action Summit 2025, brings together public and private sector leaders to align AI advancements with environmental goals. The initiative seeks to:

• Mitigate AI’s environmental footprint by improving energy efficiency and reducing resource consumption.
• Harness AI’s transformative power to accelerate decarbonization, reduce pollution, and protect biodiversity.
• Foster collaboration across industries, research institutions, and policymakers to scale best practices and drive meaningful impact.

Why This Coalition Matters

As AI infrastructure becomes as fundamental as water, energy, and transport, its environmental implications must be addressed proactively. AI technologies have the potential to redefine entire industries—just as the Industrial Revolution once did—while offering unprecedented capabilities to tackle climate change, optimize resource management, and enhance environmental decision-making.

By bringing together a diverse network of stakeholders, the Coalition recognizes that the digital and AI revolution and the environmental crisis are two defining challenges of our time.

Mission and Leadership

The Coalition operates under two core principles:

1. Reducing AI’s environmental impact through research, standardization, and improved energy efficiency.
2. Leveraging AI to tackle environmental challenges by advancing climate modeling, ecosystem monitoring, and sustainability-driven innovations.

Founding Leaders:

• French Government
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Driving Global Collaboration

The Coalition’s role extends beyond advocacy. It serves as a platform to:

• Identify and promote AI-driven environmental solutions across industries.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing and standardization to ensure responsible AI adoption.
• Support research and development to quantify and reduce AI’s ecological footprint.

This initiative will also maintain momentum through major global forums such as AI Summits, COP conferences, and other international policy discussions, ensuring AI remains at the forefront of sustainability efforts.

Industry Leaders Join the Movement

The Coalition for Sustainable AI has already attracted a diverse group of corporations, research institutions, NGOs, investors, and public sector organizations committed to this mission.

Corporate Members Include:

Salesforce, Nvidia, IBM, Hugging Face, Capgemini, Thales, Schneider Electric, Philips, TotalEnergies, Baidu, Orange, L’Oréal Groupe, Mistral AI, AMD, Dassault Systèmes, and more.

Research Institutions and NGOs:

Stockholm Environment Institute, Mila, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Università di Pavia, Climate Change AI, The Shift Project, Royal Academy of Engineering, and others.

Investors and Public Sector Representatives:

Ardian, Crédit Agricole, Eurazeo, Mirova, BPI France, the Republic of Serbia’s Ministry of Science, and more.

Salesforce’s Commitment to AI Sustainability

Boris Gamazaychikov, Head of AI Sustainability at Salesforce, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating:

“I’m proud that Salesforce is one of the initial members, and I hope that many more join on this critical journey. Thanks to the French Government, UNEP, and ITU for organizing this important initiative.”

Looking Ahead: The Future of Sustainable AI

The Coalition for Sustainable AI marks a critical step toward ensuring that AI serves as a force for climate action, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable development. As AI continues to reshape the global economy, initiatives like this will help balance technological progress with environmental responsibility.

With momentum building and more organizations joining the effort, the Coalition aims to drive lasting impact—paving the way for a future where AI and sustainability go hand in hand.