Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) Sustainability Seminar Series Spring 2026 - How Data Centers and AI are Shaping the Energy Transition
Supporting the below United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:支持以下聯合國可持續發展目標：支持以下联合国可持续发展目标：
The global energy transition is being shaped by clean energy, grid constraints, and growing power demand from data centers and electric vehicles. To stay on track for net-zero emissions, technological innovation must accelerate. This talk provides a data-driven overview of the current state of the energy transition, its challenges, and innovation gaps.
We will discuss the role of climate tech startups in filling these gaps, and private capital trends fueling their growth. Digitalization has become a pillar in climate tech, with artificial intelligence (AI) and data center infrastructure becoming key forces in energy markets. While data centers do consume significant power, presenting local grid capacity challenges, new clean energy and optimization solutions can help reduce both load intensity and carbon emissions. At the same time, AI can also help improve solutions for sustainability across sectors, from biodiversity support to precision agriculture. This talk will explore how climate tech, data centers and AI are influencing the pace and direction of the energy transition.
Date
13 Mar 2026 (Fri)
Time
4:00pm-5:30pm (HKT)
Format
Zoom
Topic
“How Data Centers and AI are Shaping the Energy Transition”
Speaker
Dr. Amanda Grace Ahl - Visiting Professor, Bologna Business School, Italy
Moderator
Prof. Masaru Yarime, Associate Professor, Division of Public Policy & Division of Environment and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Registration
https://ust.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3P0ILnnJiiBeWp0
Dr. Amanda Grace Ahl is a Visiting Professor at Bologna Business School, where she teaches the MBA course “Innovation & Sustainability”. Dr. Ahl also serves as Advisor at Acanthus Climate Ventures, supporting startups and investors in the climate tech landscape. Previously, Dr. Ahl served as an Associate Analyst on BloombergNEF’s Grids & Utilities team, where she led research and client engagement on power-sector digitalization and innovation strategies. Dr. Ahl has a PhD in Technology Management from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).