UNESCO and the World Bank convened senior ICT policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders from across Africa to explore strategies for sustainable and resource-efficient AI development. The meeting, held on 11 November in Conakry, Guinea, aimed to highlight the environmental impacts of AI and encourage the integration of sustainability considerations into national AI strategies. Participants examined how AI systems, while offering significant development opportunities, can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial energy, water, and land, and discussed ways to mitigate these effects.
The workshop emphasized the concept of Green AI, presenting two complementary approaches: improving the efficiency of AI systems themselves (Greening AI) and leveraging AI to advance environmental and sustainability objectives (Greening with AI). UNESCO shared insights from its report Smarter, Smaller, Stronger: Resource-Efficient Generative AI and the Future of Digital Transformation, demonstrating that techniques such as model compression, quantization, and the use of task-specific Small Language Models can dramatically reduce energy consumption—sometimes by up to 90% compared with large-scale models—without compromising accuracy. These measures are particularly relevant for low-resource environments across the continent.
Policy frameworks were also highlighted as essential to fostering Green AI. While national AI and digital strategies guide infrastructure development, cross-sectoral policies on energy, water, minerals, and environmental management play a critical role in supporting sustainable AI deployment. Case studies presented by the World Bank from Nigeria, Singapore, and Chile illustrated practical approaches for integrating environmental considerations into AI governance, demonstrating how policy design can promote both technological growth and sustainability.
Facilitated by UNESCO’s Leona Verdadero and the World Bank’s Hawa Siga Diankon, the workshop formed part of the 7th Transform Africa Summit and contributed to regional efforts to build inclusive, climate-conscious AI ecosystems. UNESCO reaffirmed its commitment to helping African countries develop sustainable digital infrastructure, strengthen capacities for green AI, and ensure that Africa’s AI-ready future aligns with global climate and environmental objectives.
