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Keynotes · Lectures · Workshops

Navigate the
AI | Sustainability
Paradox

Help your organization understand how artificial intelligence both threatens and enables our sustainable future—and what to do about it.

25+ Years in Sustainability
120+ Podcast Episodes
1000+ Lectures Delivered

One ChatGPT query powers a light bulb for 20 minutes (de Vries, 2023)

AI could cut global emissions by 5 billion tons annually (BCG, 2024)

Data centers will consume 1,200 billion liters of water annually by 2030 (IEA, 2025)

AI-optimized irrigation reduces agricultural water use by 40% (FAO, 2024)

AI hardware generates 1.2–5 million tons of e-waste annually by 2030 (Forti et al., 2020)

DeepMind discovered 2.2 million new sustainable materials in weeks (Merchant et al., 2023)

Despite 44x efficiency gains, total AI energy doubled 2017–2023 (Google, 2024)

Google Maps eco-routing saved 2.7 million tons CO₂ in 2024 (Google, 2024)

90% of AI researchers concentrate in just 10 countries (World Bank, 2024)

AI precision farming achieves 97% pesticide reduction (ecoRobotix, 2024)

Both are true

The Challenge

Your organization is making AI decisions right now. Are they the right ones?

The Cost Side

Data centers consume more electricity than Argentina (IEA, 2025). Google's emissions rose 48% since 2019 (Google, 2024). Every AI model trained creates tons of carbon.

The Opportunity

AI enables 97% pesticide reduction in agriculture (ecoRobotix, 2024). Smart grids save 20% energy (IEA, 2024). Climate models now run 100x faster (Bi et al., 2023).

The Stakes

Without informed decisions, efficiency gains trigger rebound effects. More use, not less impact. The rebound effect is already playing out (Koomey et al., 2024).

The Path Forward

Informed action beats inaction. Your teams need frameworks for AI decisions that serve both innovation and planetary boundaries.

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Offerings

Formats designed for learning, reflection, and informed action

Keynote

The AI Sustainability Paradox

A provocative 30-minute presentation that reframes how your organization thinks about AI. Interactive positioning questions create genuine engagement.

30 minutes Executive audiences English / German

Lecture

Sustainability & AI Fundamentals

A comprehensive exploration of AI's environmental and social impacts. Evidence-based, data-rich, and structured for deep understanding.

90-180 minutes Teams & students Case studies

Workshop

Five Questions Framework

Hands-on session where your team applies decision frameworks to real AI projects. Leave with practical tools for responsible deployment.

Half-day / Full-day Interactive Custom scenarios

Why Roman

What your organization gains

◇

Evidence, Not Hype

Every claim backed by IEA, IPCC, and peer-reviewed research. No buzzwords, just substance.

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Nuanced Perspective

Neither techno-optimist nor doom-sayer. Navigate complexity with "and" thinking, not "or."

○

Actionable Frameworks

Walk away with the Five Questions framework and practical tools for AI project decisions.

□

Engaging Delivery

Audience positioning, reflection moments, and real dialogue—not passive consumption.

Roman Mesicek - Sustainability & AI Speaker and Consultant

Connecting Dots, Creating Change

Roman Mesicek brings 25 years of sustainability experience to the AI conversation. As founder of 36 Sustainability Consulting, co-creator of Austria's first sustainability barcamp, and guest lecturer at universities, he bridges academic rigor with practical application.

His approach? Pragmatic optimism. He sees both the genuine threats and the real opportunities AI presents for planetary and social wellbeing—and helps organizations navigate between them with informed intention.

36 sustainability Sustainability Skills Academy Tonspur N Podcast sustainabilitycamp

Start the Conversation

Whether keynote, lecture, or workshop—let's discuss how to bring informed AI sustainability thinking to your organization.

Book a Meeting or email directly: office@mesicek.com

References

BCG. (2024). How AI can be a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Boston Consulting Group.

Bi, K., Xie, L., Zhang, H., Chen, X., Gu, X., & Tian, Q. (2023). Accurate medium-range global weather forecasting with 3D neural networks. Nature, 619, 533–538.

de Vries, A. (2023). The growing energy footprint of artificial intelligence. Joule, 7(10), 2191–2194.

ecoRobotix. (2024). Precision spraying technology: Impact report. ecoRobotix SA.

FAO. (2024). Digital agriculture: AI applications in water management. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Forti, V., Baldé, C. P., Kuehr, R., & Bel, G. (2020). The global e-waste monitor 2020. United Nations University.

Google. (2024). Google environmental report 2024. Google LLC.

IEA. (2024). Energy efficiency 2024. International Energy Agency.

IEA. (2025). Electricity 2025: Analysis and forecast to 2027. International Energy Agency.

Koomey, J., Berard, S., Sanchez, M., & Wong, H. (2024). Implications of historical trends in the electrical efficiency of computing. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 33(3), 46–54.

Merchant, A., Batzner, S., Schoenholz, S. S., et al. (2023). Scaling deep learning for materials discovery. Nature, 624, 80–85.

World Bank. (2024). AI talent concentration and global development. World Bank Group.