Greening AI in the Public Sector: An Introductory Handbook for Procurement

As public agencies consider adopting new artificial intelligence products, it’s clear that residents and public sector staff have concerns about the environmental impacts of AI infrastructures. As residents press cities and localities to take climate action, and agencies wonder how AI acquisition will affect emissions targets and IT bills, there is a clear need for a more environmentally sustainable approach to AI use.

Fortunately, it is getting easier to measure and mitigate AI’s environmental footprint. And municipal governments have an important role to play in the responsible adoption and governance of this technology. As this handbook demonstrates, there are practical steps agencies can take to incorporate environmental performance criteria into public AI procurement, optimizing sustainability while preserving quality of service.

Based on 10 months of fieldwork and five months of co-design interviews and focus groups with city staff and green software practitioners, this guide introduces staff and officials to the rapidly developing field of greener computing and suggests entry-level, low-effort actions that can augment a standard procurement process. It is intended for use by anyone involved in AI adoption in an organization.