Summit 2026 - The hidden costs of AI: energy, resources and environmental injustice

Day 2: Wednesday 25th March

Time: 17:30 GMT | 18:30 CET | 10:30 PT | 13:30 ET | 02:30 JST (26 March)

Virtual event

Artificial intelligence is often framed as a solution to climate and environmental challenges. However, its rapid expansion relies on resource-intensive data centres, increasing electricity demand, water consumption, land use pressures, and mineral extraction for hardware supply chains.

This session explores where power sits in AI infrastructure development, who bears environmental and social risks, and how legal and advocacy strategies can drive accountability and resilience.

Join us to hear about the emerging legal and civil society responses with case studies from Mexico and Ireland and to find out what role the law can play in this debate.

Moderator: Natascha Hospedales, Lawyer, ClientEarth

Panellists:

• Sebastian Smart, Senior Research Fellow, Anglia Ruskin University
• Christiaan van Veen, Co-founder, Leitmotiv

This session is part of the ClientEarth Summit 2026. Find out more here, and register below.

Register for the Summit