Accelerating AI - The Water Factor

CDP’s flagship event within Climate Week NYC will offer a unique opportunity to explore the cost of AI-driven water usage, both on a financial level and as a risk which applies beyond individual businesses.

By attending, participants will consider how to price water within their own financial planning, whilst also identifying how to manage hidden water-based risks across their supply chains – and identifying the potential opportunities which could emerge from this enhanced knowledge.

Date: September 23, 2025, 08:30 - 11:00

CDP at New York Climate Action Week

AI is an increasingly capacity-hungry resident of data centers worldwide, demanding more power than can be provided at the current rate of innovation – which makes data center expansion this century’s equivalent of the great American railroad revolution in the 1830s. If iron ore was the key commodity responsible for the track infrastructure expansion at that time – water may be considered that for data centers.

The water factor in data center expansion is a crucial one – how can a resource that is not currently deemed a priced commodity in economics today be captured and leveraged to power AI growth and human-driven innovation while ensuring the availability of that resource in perpetuity?

CDP will bring together inspiring leaders across both public and private sectors to discuss the water factor from various perspectives – simply by factoring it in.

Agenda

Full agenda and speaker faculty will be confirmed shortly.

This critical event will consider sessions focused on:

Understanding the impact of AI on water usage, and insight into the impact this has on water costs and availability for corporates
Illuminating the hidden cost of water – how do companies accurately price water as a commodity and including this in medium- and long-term planning? What data is available to assist?
Exploring AI-enabled technology and its role in managing water risk – where can technology make a positive difference in terms of risk-management and event identifying potential opportunities?
Risk management throughout the supply chain – what questions should be asked throughout a supply chain to measure and manage your holistic water-based risk
The funding question – how financial institutions consider water within their financing decisions, and how is this likely to change in the coming years?

Register your interest

Registration will open on August 20th, and CDP will confirm if we can provide you a pass via email on that date.

Due to venue capacity and our commitment to diverse representation, we allocate a limited number of seats per organization. Additional team members will be placed on a waitlist and notified if space becomes available, typically 1 to 2 weeks before the event.

For any questions or further information, please contact us at events@cdp.net.