The Climate Briefing: What does AI mean for the climate?

Anna and Bhargabi speak to Boris Gamazaychikov (CEO and Co-Founder of the Sustainable AI Group) and Chatham House’s Rowan Wilkinson to discuss AI’s environmental impacts and the urgent need for better governance.

Audio

Published 4 June 2026 — 45 minute listen

Attention is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence as its capabilities and influence permeate nearly every sector. AI’s growth raises important questions about its environmental footprint; risks associated with future scale, and how such a globalised industry can be effectively governed.

This episode of the Climate Briefing explores:

  • Where are we today in terms of AI capability and use?
  • Is AI’s environmental footprint being addressed in product design and the industry more widely?
  • Looking ahead, across national and international levels, what could effective governance look like?

To discuss this, co-hosts Anna and Bhargabi are joined by Boris Gamazaychikov (CEO and Co-Founder of the Sustainable AI Group) and Rowan Wilkinson (Research Associate, Digital Society Programme at Chatham House).  

About The Climate Briefing  

The Climate Briefing explores key themes in the UN climate negotiations and international climate politics. The podcast is hosted by Bhargabi Bharadwaj and Anna Aberg from Chatham House and features interviewees from governments, international organizations, academia and civil society organizations from across the world. 
 
You can also listen to The Climate Briefing on Apple Podcasts and Spotify