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人工智能與永續發展的交匯：英國的啟示

Jacob Wan, 英國青年大使

近年來，英國在永續發展方面的策略經歷了顯著的轉變。隨著社會對環境、社會與企業管治（ESG）議題的關注不斷提升，人工智能（AI）作為一種能夠分析龐大數據、預測結果並自動化決策的技術，已成為推動永續變革的重要力量。AI 在推進 ESG 目標中的關鍵作用，體現在提升效率、促進創新，以及推動企業與社會層面負責任的決策。

AI 與 ESG 的融合

在環境層面，AI 直接促進能源效率提升與廢物減少。Google 旗下的 DeepMind 曾與英國風電場合作，運用 AI 演算法預測風力發電量，顯著提升再生能源的生產效率（DeepMind, 2023）。AI 亦被應用於風力發電機等基礎設施的預測性維護，確保能源生產穩定且持續。此外，在數據中心的能源管理中，AI 的應用有助於降低冷卻能耗與營運成本（Digital Realty UK, 2024）。

在社會層面，AI 正改變英國的醫療服務。英國國民保健署（NHS）已引入 AI 系統，用於疾病早期診斷及個人化治療計劃，並計劃於 2024 年推出 AI 知識庫，以指導技術的倫理與負責任應用（NHS Digital, 2024）。同時，AI 在教育領域的應用也促進了包容性學習，協助具不同學習需求的學生。

在管治層面，AI 技術正協助英國企業提升透明度與問責性。例如，金融機構利用AI 進行合規監察與防詐偵測，以確保遵守監管及道德標準（UK Parliament, 2023）。英國政府亦正制定 AI 管治框架，以在創新與風險管理之間取得平衡。

AI 在 ESG 中的陰暗面

儘管 AI 為推進英國的永續發展帶來前所未有的契機，其應用亦伴隨多重倫理與實務挑戰。若缺乏完善的倫理設計與監管機制，AI 系統可能引發負面的環境、社會與管治後果。

首先，AI 基礎設施的高能耗可能成為英國減碳努力的瓶頸。根據《衛報》於 2025 年 8 月的報導，英國林肯郡一個耗資 10 億英鎊的 AI 數據中心計畫，預計每年排放 857,254 噸二氧化碳，約相當於五個主要機場的總排放量（The Guardian, 2025）。此案例顯示，若 AI 基礎設施設計與能源監管不足，其環境代價可能抵銷效率提升，甚至削弱英國的減碳承諾。

其次，AI 在資料倫理與決策公平性方面仍存在隱憂。根據 NHS England 於 2024 年 12 月的報告，AI 被用於預測頻繁使用急診服務的病人，成功在部分地區將重複就診率減半（NHS England, 2024）。然而，若演算法的訓練數據存在偏差，或決策過程缺乏透明度，可能導致醫療資源分配不均，損害社會公正與公眾信任。

最後，英國政府於 2025 年 3 月推出《AI 機遇行動計畫》與《AI 管治守則》，旨在推動創新與產業競爭力。然而，據 Infosecurity Europe 指出，該政策亦遭批評在倫理與安全監督方面不足（Infosecurity Europe, 2025）。這凸顯了英國在鼓勵創新與確保問責之間的制度張力：若缺乏清晰的風險評估與監管框架，AI 的濫用可能侵蝕公眾信任，並引發長期的管治問題。

總的來說，AI 的「陰暗面」並非源於技術本身，而在於制度與監管無法跟上技術發展的速度。為使 AI 真正推動 ESG 目標，英國必須建立一套協調政策、倫理與產業實踐的綜合機制，在創新與約束之間取得平衡，確保 AI 的發展符合法律規範並契合永續與負責任的價值取向。

AI ESG 協議：行動框架

「AI ESG 協議」提供一個系統化的框架，用於評估 AI 對 ESG 的影響。其目標是協助企業識別、衡量並揭露 AI 與數據活動所帶來的環境、社會與管治效應，同時提出可行的改進建議。

該框架包括四個主要階段：

初步描述報告：分析企業在 AI 與數據應用方面的責任分工、策略、管治與倫理政策。
重大影響報告：透過質性與量化分析，識別 AI 活動對 ESG 的影響，並建立風險矩陣與重要性分析。
行動計畫：提出具體措施以減輕風險、把握機遇並提升 ESG 表現。
實務評估：企業可根據自身的 ESG 策略，部分或全面採用此協議模組。

其主要特點包括：

靈活與適應性強：可根據不同產業需求客製化，並與現有 ESG 框架結合。
全面性：涵蓋直接與間接影響。
雙重重要性：同時考量財務風險與永續影響，引導企業制定具體且可執行的行動方案。

結論

AI 為英國開啟了一條邁向永續發展的新途徑，不僅提升社會福祉，也促進管治透明。然而，AI 的潛力能否實現，取決於倫理、監管與創新的平衡。「AI ESG 協議」為企業提供一條務實的路徑，使其在推進技術發展的同時，仍能堅守永續與責任原則。隨著英國持續擁抱 AI 技術，確保創新真正成為環境保護、社會進步與良好管治的正向力量，將是未來發展的關鍵。

References

The Guardian (2025). “Planned AI data centre in England could cause five times emissions of big airport.” theguardian.com

NHS England (2024). “NHS AI giving patients better care and support.” england.nhs.uk

Infosecurity Europe (2025). “Reviewing UK AI regulation.” infosecurityeurope.com

DeepMind (2023). “Using AI to fight climate change.” deepmind.google

Digital Realty UK (2024). “Sustainable data centre AI.” digitalrealty.co.uk

UK Parliament (2023). Governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). publications.parliament.uk

Sætra, H. S. (2022). The AI ESG Protocol Structure. ResearchGate

U.K.’s Water: Drought, Scarcity, and the ESG Imperative

已更新：10月30日

U.K.’s Water: Drought, Scarcity, and the ESG Imperative

Janet Ng, U.K. ESG Advocate

ymjanetng@gmail.com

The summer of 2022 and the more recent 2025 warnings made one thing painfully clear: water scarcity in the UK is no longer a distant climate risk scenario — it’s a present, systemic challenge that cuts across environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions. Reservoirs and groundwater have dipped to levels not seen in decades, hosepipe bans and drought permits are back on the table, and the potential economic and ecological costs are massive (BBC News, 2025; The Guardian, 2025).

What the evidence shows

Reservoirs at historic lows: Regional reporting highlights reservoir stocks and river flows in some regions are at record low August values, prompting drought permits and emergency interventions (The Guardian, 2025).
Drivers are compound: The scenario combines climate change (hotter, drier summers; wetter winters), population growth and demand, leaky networks (lost treated water), and limited new storage capacity (The Guardian, 2025; Parry, et al., 2024; Stubbington, et al., 2024).
Surface vs groundwater diverge: State of the art hydrological projections show consistent declines in low river flows across most catchments, while groundwater responses vary: winter recharge may buffer some aquifers even as summer surface flows fall, creating complex resource trade offs (Parry, et al., 2024).

Why it matters for ESG

Environmental: Lower river flows, warming water and shrinking refuges damage freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services. Scientific assessments warn that altered flow regimes and more frequent, severe droughts will stress aquatic systems and may push some rivers toward simplified, species poor states unless management changes (Stubbington, et al., 2024; Parry, et al., 2024).
Social: Water scarcity affects households (supply restrictions, higher bills), public health (heat + limited water), and livelihoods (agriculture, food security). Vulnerable communities — those with less capacity to adapt — are disproportionately exposed (Carvalho & Spataru, 2023).
Governance: England’s ageing infrastructure, high leakage rates and decades without new reservoirs have amplified risk. Some argue this is because water companies have paid dividends instead of investing customer payments in infrastructure, while others blame a privatised monopoly system that has focused on keeping bills low rather than funding improvements (The Guardian, 2025).

Practical ESG actions proposed by some scholars

Strengthening drought resilience and supporting biodiversity can be achieved through nature-based solutions such as restoring wetlands, replanting riparian zones, and implementing natural water storage at the catchment scale (Stubbington, et al., 2024). At the same time, it is essential that drought strategies should prioritise equitable resilience by targeting support to vulnerable communities, embedding justice‑focused indicators and inclusive governance, and shifting from reactive response to proactive risk reduction that addresses underlying vulnerabilities. (Carvalho & Spataru, 2023).

In summary, the UK’s water drought and scarcity are the ESG problems. Scientific evidence points to shrinking river flows, stressed reservoirs, and divergent surface water and groundwater futures that together threaten biodiversity, households, and critical infrastructure. Addressing this requires integrated action: accelerate nature based solutions (wetland restoration, riparian planting, catchment storage), invest in supply resilience and leakage reduction, embed hydrological scenario testing into corporate and public risk planning, and ensure responses are equitable so costs and protections do not fall unfairly on the most vulnerable. Doing so will protect ecosystems, secure water for people and businesses, and reduce financial and reputational risk — turning a shared crisis into an opportunity for resilient, fair stewardship of the UK’s water resources.

References:

BBC News, 2025. Drought 'could reach levels not seen since 1995'. [Online]

Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjeydx3e213o [Accessed 30 September 2025].

Carvalho, P. & Spataru, C., 2023. Gaps in the governance of oods, droughts, and heatwaves in the United Kingdom. [Online] Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1124166/full [Accessed 30 September 2025].

Parry, S. et al., 2024. Divergent future drought projections in UK river flows and groundwater levels. [Online] Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-417-2024 [Accessed 30 September 2025].

Stubbington, R. et al., 2024. The effects of drought on biodiversity in UK river ecosystems: Drying rivers in a wet country. [Online] Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1745 [Accessed 30 September 2025].

The Guardian, 2025. How can England possibly be running out of water?. [Online]

Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2025/aug/17/how-can-england-possibly-be-running-out-of-water [Accessed 30 September 2025].

(Date: 25th October, 2025)