The Heinrich Böll Foundation, operating in Brazil for 25 years and working in cooperation with various civil society organizations, publicly expresses its disagreement with the statement made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on November 13th.

Faced with an increasingly bleak outlook for our planet, with urgent challenges—such as the climate crisis, rising social inequalities, the depletion of natural resources, and prolonged wars—it's common for civil society organizations, governments, and individuals to seek effective and immediate responses, or even good ideas that can be replicated like a recipe.

Governments worldwide have been adopting national AI strategies to guide the design of policies for enhancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) development. Through these strategies, many countries have expressed AI’s potential for helping combat environmental degradation, but almost none have reflected on the role of strategies in reducing AI’s own environmental impacts. This article discusses this trend and reflects on how public policies could help make AI development and deployment less impactful.

In November, Brazil will host the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), placing Brazil back at the center of the global debate on climate justice and the energy transition. The link between digital technologies and environmental discussions, especially involving artificial intelligence (AI), is even more evident.