Essay by Eric Worrall
Greens have reached the bargaining stage of their grief for the demise of their movement.
From the Aussie Climate Change Authority “2035 Targets Advice” report;
… (page 39)
the 10-year time horizon to 2035 limits the potential for ‘gamechanger’ technologies not currently tested and proven – but does not rule them out entirely. The first Apple iPhone reportedly sold 4 million units within just 6 months of its launch in 2007 (Reuters, 2008). This advance fundamentally re-shaped the media and communications landscape within a decade. Energy efficiency and artificial intelligence (AI) are areas where current research and development may trigger breakthroughs which reshape what is possible in the decade ahead. In the case of AI, this emerging technology cluster is also a source of downside risk if the industry’s growing appetite for electricity hampers grid decarbonisation efforts (IEA, 2025a)
… (page 47)
Box 3: Managing artificial intelligence
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) represents another critical shift to navigate as part of Australia’s net zero transition. AI offers potential energy and cost efficiencies from automating and optimising operations in a number of sectors, including transport, manufacturing, the built environment, and renewable energy integration. AI can accelerate climate decision making by processing data, forecasting change and creating models at greater speed and detail than traditional approaches (UNESCO, 2024). Governments are also using AI to make environmental and planning approvals processes more streamlined, transparent and efficient (cBrain, 2025; NSW Government, 2024a; PNNL, 2024).
However, with the benefits of AI comes the challenge that it can be highly energy intensive, requiring large amounts of electricity to run powerful computer hardware. Bloomberg modelling suggests that, with Australia being among the countries with a more advanced digital industry, data centres could account for over 10% of Australia’s electricity consumption by 2035. Data centres will also be built at increasingly large scales and capacity, compoundingpressure on regional power sources (BNEF, 2025b) and placing additional pressure on the renewables buildout.
Some AI infrastructure providers are planning to decarbonise. For example, Amazon Web Services, which in June announced an investment of AUD 20 billion into data centre infrastructure in Australia, plans to achieve net zero by 2040 and already matches 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy. However, meeting such decarbonisation targets will rely on the successful transition of the electricity system.
Australia could minimise the strain on energy systems from AI growth in the next decade by investing in research, planning and policy. For example, by co-locating data centres with storage to provide operators flexibility over when to draw from the grid, and investing in hardware and software upgrades to fast-track energy efficiency improvements (IEA, 2025a).
Read more: https://www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2025-09/2035%20Targets%20Advice.pdf
This is magical thinking.
How can a data center with co-located batteries be expected to compete against China’s coal powered data centers, or the USA’s gas and nuclear powered data centers?
The report also expresses hope for a “breakthrough” – but ignores the reality that in our ultra competitive AI age, any energy efficiency breakthrough will be leveraged to increase capacity and capability, not to reduce energy use.
This report once again confirms greens have no idea how to respond to the challenge of AI. I see this empty hope for magical solutions as the bargaining stage of the five stages of grief – trying to find a magical solution to the insurmountable challenge to their belief system posed by widespread adoption of AI.
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Greens have reached the bargaining stage of their grief for the demise of their movement.
This may be true down under, but in the UK it’s Labour Party conference time…
Sunday
Labour Climate and Environment Forum panel and drinks reception between 6 and 7:30pm
Monday
Ed Miliband will join the Labour Climate and Environment Forum at another invite-only drinks commencing at 7pm. – Guido Fawkes
Hic…
I’m sure he’ll have a sandwich before he goes…
Strictly canapes and vol au vents…
There is no Green demise – nowhere.
All parties in the western world,
wether they pretend to be socialists or conservatives or whatever act like green parties.
No matter what they say to get votes.
They are all globalists, all open borders,all green energy and love the one religion that absolutely hates them.
Even the republicans in the USA would be 100% green(and everything else) without Trump in the way.
The English have been voting conservative after conservative into the downing street every 2nd weekend, but no matter wether their name was Johnson,Sunak,May or whatever.
They always got a green leader.
I agree Europe is one of the few remaining strongholds of the green movement, but they will pay a big price for rejecting AI.
Refusing to participate in the renaissance and industrial revolution is why most once wealthy Muslim nations are now economic basket cases. Europe and Britain will suffer the same fate if they refuse to fully participate in the AI revolution for ideological reasons.
It is tough to resist the siren song of saving a planet or the human race.
Does Ed Miliband and Labour Party even matter? Polling in June suggests that an election in the UK will see Labour dumped out of office with Reform UK sweeping to a majority victory.
The AI race has begun. The UK is not yet in their starting blocks. By the time you can dump Labour it may be far too late.
The hubris, the way they talk about “climate goals” as if it is a given that they can control the climate by controlling C02, in other words by controlling other people.
The problem ain’t the Hybris but the 100 % undemocratic process.
The population isn’t even being asked wether they want it or not.
Just as with all those wars.
It is being planned years ahead – and then executed.
(the wars with Afghanistan,Syria,Lybia etc were already set in stone by the Pentagon in September 2001,as 4 star general Wesley Clark revealed in 2007 in his “7 countries in 5 years” -speech)
Totalitarian to the core.
Nah, it’ll be fine. Let’s throw all the money and energy at the overhyped autocorrect engine and eventually it’ll give us a way to get to net zero without any sacrifices.
That is certainly big tech’s line, when they try to salvage their tattered green cred :-).
How pathetic is this? In what world are these knuckleheads living?
“AI can accelerate climate decision making by processing data, forecasting change and creating models at greater speed and detail than traditional approaches (UNESCO, 2024)”
You don’t need AI to make climate decisions. CO2 can not cause catastrophic global warming, wind and solar can not replace fossil fuels and nuclear. It is that simple.
SOLUTION!
Tell the greens that the only way to get to net zero without impoverishing the population is a break through technology that can only be achieved by AI so to save the planet we have to ramp up power production to support AI by any means necessary.
And when “AI” finally becomes “I”, it will simply shut itself down, after shaking its digital head ruefully for a few milliseconds.
Impoverishing the population is the goal for many greens.