Code Green

In this bonus episode of the Code Green podcast, team members Dona, Meredith & Tammanna reflect on the season. They discuss the project's origins & their experiences of curating the podcast & newsletter. Their key takeaways include the need for nuance in discussions about AI's environmental impact, & questioning the focus on hyper-growth & efficiency. They emphasise the...

Across this series, we’ve traced the many emergent tensions between AI as both a potential  solution and barrier to addressing the world’s most urgent climate and environmental dilemmas. In this final episode, Hanyuan ‘Karen’ Wang and Luis Felipe R. Murrillo discuss the complex arena of climate finance - highlighting these key tensions and potential pathways forward. Hanyuan discusses the need for...

Amidst rapid urbanisation, Asia’s urban centres are increasingly turning to smart solutions as they grapple with worsening air pollution, rising emissions, and erratic weather patterns. What role can data and AI play in shaping more sustainable urban futures? In this episode, ChengHe Guan and Raj Cherubal discuss the future of digital urban transformation, with a focus on smart and sustainable cit...

As population growth, motorisation, and climate change strain urban mobility in the Asian region, the design and delivery of transport services are becoming increasingly complex. Experts Huê-Tâm Jamme and Kris Villanueva-Libunao explore why cities need equitable, people-centred planning that accounts for existing mobility patterns and what barriers exist to implementing AI for mobility. Hue-Tam em...

AI is often framed as the future of progress, but what fuels this revolution? Behind every data centre, semiconductor, and AI model lies a hidden world of resource extraction, geopolitical power struggles, and environmental destruction. In this episode, we dig into the raw materials powering AI—from rare earth mining to data centres sucking up water in drought-prone regions. Experts Tom Özden-Schi...

For many countries in Asia, pathways to clean energy transitions are complex with continued reliance on coal and legacy infrastructure, a rapidly urbanising economy, and a booming data centre industry. How can we ensure that AI adoption is both safe and sustainable while also fostering equitable energy transitions?  In this episode, we hear from John Cotton & Priya Donti on the enthusiasm of g...

In this episode, Eleanor Slade & VV Robin discuss how technologies like AI have the potential to support conservation practices, yet challenges (data availability & financing) remain to realise some of these aspirations. On one hand, technology has facilitated public interest in nature. Using digital tools & apps, people can access info about diverse species & improve their underst...

Leaders at COP29 in Baku endorsed a declaration to use digital technologies and AI to address climate action, while also acknowledging the need to minimise its environmental impacts. How do we find this balance? Is it achievable at all? What new narratives and policy directions are needed? What does it mean for countries in Asia that are already grappling with the environmental impacts of rapid in...

Climate change is disrupting agricultural practices, affecting food security and farmers' livelihoods. Technologies like AI-enabled precision agriculture are emerging as potential solutions to alleviate some of these problems. In Asia, where most farmers are smallholders and a digital divide persists, what are the implications of AI adoption for agriculture in the region? Can it help address the c...

Geospatial AI is the use of AI-based tools for analysing any type of geographic information derived from sources such as satellite imagery, aerial drones, and geographic information systems (GIS). These technologies can be employed in resource management, disaster response, and conservation efforts, offering real-time monitoring and analysis of ecosystems and natural resources.  In this episode, w...

The climate crisis has pushed parts of Asia past a tipping point, making urgent solutions critical. While tech solutions like AI-driven smart agriculture and energy management are emerging, there's little understanding of the extent of their adoption and impact. How will AI fare in contexts underscored by issues of digital divide, data challenges and financial gaps? In episode zero of the Code...

Welcome to Code Green! Brought to you by ⁠Digital Futures Lab⁠ , in partnership with ⁠Earth Venture Foundation⁠ , Code Green is a podcast and newsletter series that deep dives into the intersection of AI and climate-tech in Asia. Cutting through the hype and silos of knowledge, Code Green will foster interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and surface voices from the ground. Through this season and a...