Sustainable AI in Schools

TL;DR Summary

• Impact: AI tools add to a school's digital footprint - electricity, water and rare resources.
• Leadership role: school leadership and ICT teams can reduce this footprint through procurement, contracts and innovation support.
• First step: embed sustainability criteria into AI policy and supplier agreements. Every new contract is a chance to make a difference.

Why Digital Sustainability Can't Wait

If sustainability matters for school meals, buildings and transport, why not for digital tools?
As shown in the first article of this series, AI is not “cloud magic”: it runs on servers that use energy and water. Research shows that data centres may consume millions of litres of water annually for cooling, depending on their size and technology. AI queries typically consume more energy than a web search - in some cases several times more - although recent efficiency gains in systems like Google Gemini have reduced that gap.
For schools committed to climate goals, the message is clear: AI must be governed not only for innovation and safety, but also for sustainability. This third article in our series shows how school leadership and ICT coordinators can embed that principle into policy, procurement and staff support.

Where Leadership Makes the Difference

1. Procurement and Supplier Responsibility

Sustainability begins with the contracts you sign. Add three must-ask questions to every AI procurement process:

1. Energy source: Where are the data centres, and are they powered by renewables?
2. Efficiency: What is the average energy and water footprint per task?
3. Transparency: Does the supplier publish carbon and water reports, and commit to reductions?

💡 Example: Two quiz platforms look identical on features. One supplier demonstrates renewable-powered hosting and publishes annual footprint data, the other cannot. The first is the sustainable choice.

2. Infrastructure and ICT Strategy

Leadership also means making smart technical choices:

• Cloud vs local: Cloud AI is convenient, but a local green-energy server cluster can significantly reduce emissions for repetitive tasks.
• Hardware refresh: Energy-efficient servers and low-power GPUs can lower ICT consumption without compromising performance.
• Monitoring tools: Add sustainability indicators (kWh, water estimates, CO2) to ICT dashboards. Awareness leads to accountability.

3. Embedding Sustainability in AI Policy

• AI strategy: include sustainability alongside privacy, ethics and safety.
• Staff training: ensure teachers know how to make greener AI choices (see the second article in this series).
• Pupil literacy: integrate the hidden cost of digital tools into lessons. Pupils who learn that a prompt is never free become more responsible digital citizens.

4. DIY Apps With AI Assistance

Beyond choosing tools, schools can support staff in creating their own. Thanks to AI coding assistants, teachers can already generate small browser apps in HTML, CSS and JavaScript with little to no programming knowledge. Get inspired by our apps.

For leaders: the role is to create safe sandboxes, provide time for training, and encourage sharing across schools. Supporting teacher-made apps can foster both innovation and sustainability.

Common Misconceptions at Leadership Level

• “AI is too new for sustainability rules.” In reality, efficiency standards already exist in IT procurement. AI should follow the same principles.
• “Green cloud = green AI.” Even carbon-neutral labels can hide high water use or fossil-heavy regions. Always ask where and how.
• “Sustainable choices cost more.” In practice, energy-efficient ICT reduces long-term bills and prepares schools for EU AI Act and datacentre regulation.

Policy Steps to Take This Year

• Add sustainability clauses to all new AI supplier contracts.
• Create a sustainable digital section in your AI policy.
• Pilot a monitoring tool to track AI-related energy use.
• Provide training and sandboxes for teachers to experiment with lightweight, AI-assisted apps.

The Balance of Leadership

Every procurement decision, policy document and ICT investment shapes the footprint of your school. Sustainability in AI is not a side issue - it is a leadership responsibility.
By embedding sustainability into AI policy and enabling staff to create greener alternatives, schools can show pupils that technology and climate action belong together. That is what future-ready education looks like.

Read the Full Article Series

This article is part of our 3-part series on AI and sustainability in education

1. The Ecological Footprint of AI - What Does It Mean for Schools?
2. Teaching with AI, Learning Sustainably - Practical Tips for Teachers
3. Sustainable AI in Schools - From Awareness to Policy (you are here)