OSCAR M. Lopez (OML) Center executive director Dr. Rodel Lasco took the stage at the 2026 National Innovation Day to present “Laban sa Agos: A Paradox of AI and Climate Change,” highlighting both the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in addressing
the climate crisis.
Citing global trends, Lasco emphasized the urgency of climate risks.
“According to the World Economic Forum, in the survey of global risks, extreme weather events rank number one, and numbers one to four are all related to the environment. Quite interestingly, number six is AI. Clearly, this is very concerning for our economic leaders globally,” he said.
Lasco explained that AI is increasingly being used to support both climate change adaptation and mitigation across other regions and countries. He highlighted recent advances, including AI-enabled weather forecasting that can provide “almost perfect” heat wave predictions of up to 10 days in advance and extend forecasts up to 23 days.
AI is also being used for flood forecasting, with the ability to predict extreme water levels up to 12 hours in advance in river systems, and for early warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases such as diarrhea. In disaster contexts, AI can support rapid damage assessment
following events such as earthquakes.
for our economic leaders globDr. Rodel Lasco at the kickoff of the 2026 National Innovation Day held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila on April 28
On the mitigation side, Lasco noted that AI can enhance greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring, improve land use tracking, and support energy and transport management systems. It plays a role in monitoring, reporting and verification systems and the development of carbon markets.
Despite all these, Lasco cautioned that AI presents significant challenges. In a study released by the Columbia Climate School, it revealed that AI accounts for around 2.5% to 3.7% of GHG emissions.
He further emphasized the growing environmental foot print of data centers that power AI systems. According to Lasco, “data centers consume large amounts of electricity and water, making them increasingly significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.”
Citing the MIT Climate Portal, he noted that data center demand in the US previously accounted for around 1% to 2% of national electricity use, but has now increased to approximately 4% to 5%, and is expected to grow two to three times by 2028. Similar trends are being observed in China and Europe.
Lasco stressed that there is a crucial need to balance innovation with responsible and inclusive climate action, ensuring that AI is used ethically and remains aligned with sustain ability goals.
The 2026 National Innovation Day, with the theme “AGOS ASEAN: AI for Growth, Opportunity and Sustainability in ASEAN,” is
organized by the National Innovation Council in support of the Philippines’ ASEAN 2026 chairmanship.
(Story by Mae Anne Mangubos)
