Toward sustainable AI in Africa: Policymakers explore green pathways

As African countries advance their national AI strategies and assess the potential of this emerging technology, UNESCO and the World Bank are working together to draw attention to the resource and environmental dimensions of AI development. 

On 11 November, ICT policymakers, regulators and industry leaders from across Africa met with experts from UNESCO and the World Bank in Conakry, Guinea, to examine technical and policy pathways toward a more sustainable AI future. 

The workshop focused on the concept of Green AI, encouraging participants to consider the environmental impacts of AI systems. While AI holds significant opportunities for development, its deployment can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial amounts of energy, water and land. Discussed highlighted that these impacts are often overlooked and underscored the need to integrate environmental considerations into national AI strategies. 

Participants examined the AI value chain through an environmental lens, identifying trade-offs across the entire AI lifecycle. Experts presented two complementary approaches: improving the resource efficiency of AI systems themselves (Greening AI) and applying AI to advance broader environmental and sustainability objectives (Greening with AI).

UNESCO shared findings from its recent report, Smarter, Smaller, Stronger: Resource-Efficient Generative AI and the Future of Digital Transformation, which provides technical guidance on improving AI efficiency. The report shows that model-compression techniques such as quantization can reduce energy consumption by up to 44%. Shorter prompts and outputs can lower energy use by more than 50%. Compared to Large Language Models (LLMs), task-specific Small Language Models (SLMs) can provide up to 90% energy savings while maintaining high levels of accuracy. UNESCO encouraged participants to consider these approaches, particularly in low-resource environments. 

Policy measures were also discussed as equally critical to advancing Green AI. While national digital and AI policies guide the development of data centers and telecommunications infrastructure, other sectoral policies, covering water, energy, mineral resources and environmental management, also play a decisive role. The World Bank presented case studies from Nigeria, Singapore and Chile, illustrating how different policy frameworks can be applied to promote green AI in diverse contexts. 

The discussion was facilitated by Leona Verdadero, Programme Specialist in Digital Policies & Digital Transformation at UNESCO, and Hawa Siga Diankon, Digital Development Project Associate (West & Central Africa) at The World Bank. 

Held as part of the 7th Transform Africa Summit, the workshop contributed to regional efforts to advance an AI-ready digital future. With global attention increasingly focused on climate action, UNESCO continues to support African countries in developing inclusive and sustainable AI ecosystems and in strengthening capacities for green digital transformation

READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/toward-sustainable-ai-africa-policymakers-explore-green-pathways