Climate Leaders Weigh AI, Energy CostsClimate Leaders Weigh AI, Energy Costs

Leaders and experts meeting in New York during the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week focused on the economic and human costs of climate change, including inflation, energy prices, and worsening disasters. Artificial intelligence and data centers are emerging as a major pressure on electricity systems, fossil-fuel demand, emissions, water use, and household costs, although participants also identified potential climate benefits from AI and zero-emission power. Renewable additions reached a record 693 gigawatts in 2025, but meeting the goal of tripling renewable capacity by 2030 will require much faster deployment while fossil-fuel use, including coal expansion in China, continues to rise.