Abstract:

The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies presents a fundamental regulatory paradox: while AI offers unprecedented opportunities for environmental monitoring, climate modelling, and sustainability optimisation, its own ecological footprint—spanning energy consumption, water usage, and electronic waste—threatens to undermine global climate goals. This paper examines the evolving regulatory landscape governing the intersection of AI and environmental sustainability, with particular focus on the European Union's AI Act as a paradigmatic case study. Through doctrinal analysis of the Act's provisions and critical engagement with environmental law principles, we identify a significant "instrumentation gap" between stated sustainability aspirations and operational regulatory mechanisms. The analysis reveals that current AI regulation adopts a predominantly anthropocentric framing of environmental harm, addressing ecological impacts only insofar as they pose risks to human interests, while neglecting ecocentric concerns regarding resource extraction, lifecycle impacts, and cumulative environmental burdens. We propose a Lifecycle Governance Model that integrates environmental impact assessment, sustainability-by-design principles, and binding reporting obligations across the AI value chain. Drawing on comparative analysis of complementary regulatory frameworks—including data centre energy efficiency directives and emerging international standards—we argue for a multi-level governance approach that aligns AI regulation with established environmental law principles. The paper concludes by outlining concrete policy pathways for integrating sustainability into digital regulation, emphasising the need for harmonised standards, cross-sectoral coordination, and inclusive governance mechanisms that account for the transboundary nature of AI's environmental impacts.

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence Regulation, Environmental Law, EU AI Act, Green Technology, Sustainability Governance, Lifecycle Assessment, Climate Policy, Digital Regulation.

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