Conversations surrounding the need for AI technology, and the infrastructures needed to support it, frequently overlook the moral, ethical, and environmental risks. Concerns are growing that this push for AI integration in all facets of life, from educational institutions to national security, will have deep impacts on water resources needed to sustain this growing sector, as well as on the communities where these projects will be built. Compounding these concerns is the growing threat of climate change, and the risk it poses to already stressed ecosystems.
Discussing the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health’s recent report detailing the environmental footprints of energy and water use of AI and related infrastructure, join us for an engaging debate on what the impact of AI technology and data center construction will have on the environment, local communities, and the future of environmental governance.
About the Panelists
Dr. Miriam Aczel is an environmental policy and climate scientist with the California Institute for Energy and Environment and CITRIS Climate at UC Berkeley. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy. Her research examines the environmental and social impacts of AI and digital infrastructure, focusing on water, energy and environmental justice.
She is the lead author of the 2026 United Nations University report, Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints. Her wider work explores community energy, public participation and environmental governance. She is also the co-founder and co-director of a STEM educational nonprofit in Cambodia.
Mike Morrice is a long-time social entrepreneur, community organizer, and civic leader. Mike has spent over a decade supporting businesses in Waterloo Region – and across the country – to save money and reduce their climate impact.
In 2021, he became the first Green MP elected in Ontario and served as the Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre until 2025.
Until recently, Mike served as a Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada and served as the party’s critic for Housing and Disability Inclusion on Shadow Cabinet. He has already been confirmed as the Green candidate for MP in Kitchener Centre, has continued to knock on doors, and has stayed connected with his community following the last election. This includes serving as an Executive in Residence with Capacity Canada, a role focused on providing mentorship to Boards and leaders of local charities and non-profits in Waterloo Region.
Mike is currently running for the Green Party of Canada’s leadership.
Craig McLellan is the Founder and CEO of ThinkOn, a Canadian cloud services provider specializing in secure data management and sovereign cloud infrastructure. With over 25 years of experience in technology innovation across North America, Craig is widely recognized as a pioneer in cloud computing and a leading advocate for data sovereignty in Canada.
Under his leadership, ThinkOn has been recognized by Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50™ and The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies, and was named Broadcom’s Sovereign Cloud Provider for the Americas.
Throughout his career, Craig has served on advisory boards for a number of global technology companies, including Veeam and Hitachi. In each case, he provides strategic insight informed by a deep understanding of enterprise and public sector needs.
Moderator: Ryan Durante is currently a third-year PhD Candidate at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, through Wilfrid Laurier University. His research explores the potential for transboundary water conflict in longstanding cooperative basins of North America and Europe in the face of accelerating climate change, and investigates emergent factors such as GenAI-driven hyperscale data centre construction as flashpoints of potential water conflicts.
He is a Graduate Research Fellow at the Global Centre for Climate Change and Transboundary Waters, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-NSERC Alliance-SSHRC-funded initiative that addresses regional needs for water resource management and supporting community and ecosystem sustainability. He is also a member of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Water Policy Café.
