International Telecommunication Union Deputy Secretary-General Thomas Lamanouskas: AI solutions can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but their own carbon footprint cannot be ignored

The 2025 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference will be held from October 16 to 18 in the Expo Park of Huangpu District, Shanghai. Thomas Lamanouskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, delivered a speech. Thomas Lamanouskas deeply analyzed the dual role of digital technology in addressing the climate crisis and promoting sustainable development, while sharing the ITU's actions and plans to promote global digital cooperation and build a green digital future, injecting new perspectives into global ESG development. Lamanouskas first pointed out the severe situation facing the global environment: this year, global temperatures are expected to break records again, with widespread impacts from extreme weather such as droughts and heatwaves. In this context, the role of digital technology is particularly critical — it can both support climate action and pose risks of negative effects, with artificial intelligence being a typical representative. According to him, by 2030, AI solutions are expected to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 5%-10%, but the carbon footprint of AI itself cannot be ignored