Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a general-purpose technology with far-reaching implications for energy systems, climate action, and sustainable development.
Advances in machine learning, data availability, and computational capacity have accelerated AI deployment across sectors, positioning it both as a growing source of energy demand and a critical enabler of the clean energy transition and climate resilience. As countries pursue ambitious climate targets alongside digital transformation agendas, shaping the AI-energy-climate nexus has become a key policy and implementation priority.
India stands at a pivotal intersection of rapid economic growth, accelerating digitalisation, and urgent climate action. With rising energy demand, ambitious decarbonisation commitments, and a fast-expanding AI ecosystem across industry, academia, and public institutions, India is uniquely positioned to leverage AI to drive a clean, resilient, and inclusive development pathway on its journey toward net zero by 2070. At the same time, India’s high exposure to climate risks, ranging from extreme heat and floods to droughts and cyclones, underscores the importance of AI for climate adaptation, including weather forecasting, early warning systems, risk analytics, and decision support, as recognised under the UNFCCC framework.
In this context, the AI for CleanTech Transformation: Driving Low-Energy Intelligence for Inclusive Climate Action pre-summit event served as a focused platform to connect policy priorities with real-world clean technology deployment and emerging AI system choices. Bringing together policymakers, global development institutions, clean technology and mobility platforms, AI solution providers, startups, and research organisations, the event examined how carefully chosen, energy-efficient, and people-centric AI models can support climate mitigation and adaptation, strengthen institutions, and empower end users, while generating actionable insights for policy, research collaboration, and responsible AI adoption in India’s clean energy transition.