The State of AI in the Australian Climate Movement
September 2025
Discover how Australia's climate movement is navigating AI adoption in this groundbreaking research report.
Based on surveys of 23 climate organisations and 44 individuals across Australia, The State of Artificial Intelligence in the Australian Climate Movement reveals the complex tensions organisations face between harnessing AI's operational benefits and staying true to their environmental missions. This first-of-its-kind study uncovers widespread "shadow use" of AI tools, significant distrust of Big Tech companies, and the strategic challenges climate organisations must overcome to thoughtfully adopt AI while advocating for systemic change.
The report exposes a critical "intention-action gap" within the climate movement.
While nearly two-thirds of surveyed individuals use generative AI tools, over half of organisations lack formal policies to guide this adoption. Climate organisations are caught between recognising AI's potential to enhance their work and concerns about its environmental costs – from energy-intensive data centres to water consumption and carbon emissions. The research reveals how these tensions are creating organisational paralysis just as national AI policy discussions progress without essential climate movement input.
Gain access to actionable insights and strategic frameworks for navigating AI adoption in mission-driven organisations.
This comprehensive report includes detailed survey findings, comparative analysis with UK studies, practical recommendations across five key areas, and real-world examples of how organisations are already experimenting with AI tools. Whether you're a climate organisation leader, policy advocate, or researcher interested in the intersection of technology and social movements, this report provides the evidence base and strategic guidance needed to make informed decisions about AI adoption while maintaining mission integrity.
Recommendations
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Organisations should encourage experimentation with generative AI across different functions, with staff sharing knowledge and approaches with colleagues outside their job functions. Technology leaders should take time to understand the skills, knowledge and concerns in their organisation, and management and board leaders should be engaged, approaching conversations with curiosity and linking use to impact measurement.
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Organisations should consider introducing broad principles to allow experimentation within safe limits, taking time to understand how it could be used in their context before developing comprehensive policies. Staff and volunteers should be consulted in policy development, especially because many are already using generative AI without express permission.
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The Australian climate movement is already widely collaborative, and organisations should build on this by being open about their AI policy development processes and actively sharing approaches and learnings with allied organisations. Individuals should seek out or create communities of practice, and organisations should actively work together to discuss opportunities and challenges related to generative AI.
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The Australian climate movement is underresourced and ill-equipped to address the AI transition. It should seek support to develop and compile freely available, high-quality training resources relevant to climate organisations, and workshop ways to constructively address the unique mission tensions related to AI adoption.
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As of September 2025, Climate organisations are not engaging in wider AI discussions despite believing that external developments are relevant to their missions. Australian climate organisations should form a coalition to campaign on AI-related topics and bring a unified voice to government discussions. To support this, participating organisations should work together to clarify their vision of AI development, utilising elements from Public AI and the Within Bounds statement, campaigning for AI development to follow this vision.
The Australian government’s "wait and see" approach to AI regulation creates an opportunity for climate voices to influence policy before Big Tech consolidates power. However, organisations need concrete alternatives to advocate for – moving beyond individual consumption choices toward coordinated advocacy for an AI industry that serves environmental and social justice rather than purely profit motives.
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