02/01/2026

A Green Guide to AI: Sustainable Choices for Career Coaches & Counselors

By Angie Thompson

Most Americans engage daily with artificial intelligence (AI) features and digital platforms like TikTok, Netflix, and YouTube without recognizing that these tools can have significant environmental impacts. In environmentally conscious regions of the United States, such as Missoula, Montana, conversations about artificial intelligence often begin with concern. In my work at the University of Montana (UM), students often tell me they chose Missoula because they love the outdoors and want a break from constant tech use. So when AI tools began entering UM career services, a common question emerged repeatedly, “What is the environmental impact?”

This aligns with national patterns. As highlighted in NCDA’s members’ magazine, Career Developments (Thompson & Hines, 2025), young adults in rural and environmentally centered areas report some of the lowest voluntary AI usage in the country. Their hesitation is often rooted not in fear of technology but in environmental values, making Green AI a crucial topic.

However, environmentally conscious conversations about AI remain rare across the US, and many people use both AI and other digital tools without realizing they carry environmental costs. This makes UM’s students an exception rather than the norm. There are practical steps career development professionals can take to raise awareness and understanding of how digital tools use energy and resources. Such education can lead to making more informed decisions when engaging with these platforms, particularly for career and job search purposes.

Environmental Costs

Understanding the broader digital landscape helps raise awareness and support better decision-making when using or teaching AI. For example, TikTok’s annual carbon footprint is estimated at 50 million tons of CO₂e, nearly equal to the annual emissions of Greece (TikTok Sustainability Estimate, 2025). High engagement time and constant video refresh drive this impact. Even one minute of scrolling generates about 2.9 grams of CO₂e, a small number that becomes significant when multiplied across billions of users.

Streaming has similar effects. According to the Carbon Trust (2025), watching video on a large television is 100× more carbon-intensive than watching on a smartphone. One hour of high-definition streaming uses around 77 watt-hours, similar to running a laptop for one to two hours or keeping an LED bulb lit for most of an evening.

AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, also have environmental costs, but often less than people might assume. Google’s 2025 environmental efficiency report shows that a single Gemini text query uses roughly 0.24 watt-hours of electricity and 0.26 milliliters of water which is the energy required to power an LED bulb for only a few seconds and about the volume of a single drop of water (Google Sustainability, 2025). Most environmental impact comes from model training rather than everyday use. This distinction often reduces fear and promotes informed engagement.

Framework for AI Literacy

To help individuals navigate these realities, career development professionals benefit from clear frameworks. At the University of Montana, career coaches at the Experiential Learning and Career Success Center use the PAUSE Framework, a UM developed model adapted from established AI ethics and sustainability frameworks, to embed sustainability directly into AI literacy:

Purpose: Why is AI being used? How does it support the client’s goals?
Accessibility & Agency: Does the tool empower the client and meet their access needs?
Underpinning Evidence: Can the information be verified using 2-3 credible sources?
Sustainability: Is this the lowest-impact option? Can the task be done more efficiently?
Ethics: Are privacy, attribution, and responsible use considered?

While PAUSE addresses core dimensions of responsible AI use, Sustainability is often where students have the most questions. Career development professionals can support students and clients by offering concrete, approachable strategies that reduce environmental impact without diminishing the usefulness of AI.

One effective technique is batch prompting, which consolidates multiple questions into one structured prompt. Research shows this can reduce energy use by up to 40% (Toro-Troconis, 2025), while improving output quality.

How to Batch Prompt:

1. Write down related questions throughout the day
2. Sort them into categories
3. Add relevant context and details
4. Specify the tone, format and structure
5. Enter everything in one prompt
6. Revisit the prompt later and add additional questions so the AI retains context

Example Batch Prompt:

I am applying for a federal position. Here is my experience (insert). Please

1. Create 8–10 measurable bullet points
2. Summarize my experience in four sentences
3. List KSAs demonstrated
4. Share three tips for the USAJobs new assessments
5. Provide general guidance on answering the new essay questions
6. Draft an email template for contacting a hiring manager

This structure supports sustainability, generates less energy, and provides the job seeker with higher-quality results.

Choosing the right model also matters. Here, a model refers to the underlying AI, not the platform itself. Lightweight tools like Gemini Flash, ChatGPT-5 Instant, or Claude Haiku are often sufficient for rewriting, summarizing, or clarifying job descriptions. Larger, more energy-intensive models such as ChatGPT-5.1 Thinking, or Gemini Thinking with 3 Pro, should be reserved for complex tasks. Career development professionals can model this choice-making in appointments, presentations, workshops, and training sessions.

Other sustainable practices include reusing and organizing chat threads, avoiding unnecessary image generation, and choosing platforms with transparent environmental reporting. Students and clients benefit not only from these practical strategies but also from seeing intentional digital habits modeled for them by the career development professional.

Ethical Engagement

Equally important is the career development professional’s engagement. Staying informed allows professionals to shape discussions around policy, transparency, and environmental standards within their organizations and communities.

Many universities have empowering policies around AI use. At UM, open, campus-wide dialogue is encouraged through AI symposiums, updated platform guidelines, and transparent communication. Their public commitment to sustainable AI development and deployment (University of Montana, 2025) builds trust and invites students, faculty and staff to participate in shaping responsible AI practices.

Finally, career development professionals who wish to remain current can:

• Follow updates from transparent AI providers
• Attend NCDA sessions on AI and join the NCDA Technology Committee
• Join institutional committees shaping AI guidelines
• Be aware of institutional AI policies, training, and resources

AI and Environmental Stewardship

Green AI does not require technical expertise, but it does require intentional habits and accessible strategies. By integrating sustainability, teaching batch prompting, and modeling responsible platform use, career development professionals can help others engage with AI in ways that reflect both their values and their goals. AI and environmental stewardship can support one another when used thoughtfully and sustainably.

Ongoing Considerations

Discussions around the environmental impact of artificial intelligence are changing quickly and cannot be fully covered in a single, practitioner-focused article. Topics such as water use, how large technology systems are built and powered, and new regulations are complex and vary by location. This article is intended to offer a practical starting point for understanding Green AI and modeling thoughtful use. As research, policies and technology continue to evolve, career development professionals are encouraged to stay informed, ask critical questions, and look to NCDA and other reputable sources for ongoing guidance, resources, and professional development related to AI, ethics, and environmental sustainability.

References

Carbon Trust. (2021). Carbon impact of video streaming.https://www.carbontrust.com/sites/default/files/documents/resource/public/Carbon-impact-of-video-streaming.pdf 

Google Sustainability. (2025). Google 2025 environmental report: AI inference efficiency and sustainability. https://sustainability.google/google-2025-environmental-report/ 

L., J. (2025). TikTok’s 50-million-ton carbon crisis: Almost seven times larger than Meta’s footprint. CarbonCredits.com. https://carboncredits.com/tiktoks-50-million-ton-carbon-crisis-almost-7x-bigger-than-metas-footprint/ 

OpenAI. (2025). Building an AI-ready workforce: A look at college student ChatGPT adoption in the United States. https://cdn.openai.com/global-affairs/openai-edu-ai-ready-workforce.pdf 

Thompson, A., & Hines, E. (2025). The use of ai in career development: different experiences in higher education with one unified goal. NCDA Career Developments, 41(2), 7-9.

Toro-Troconis, M. (2025). Think before you prompt: Reduce your AI carbon footprint with ROCKS. Association for Learning Technology. https://altc.alt.ac.uk/blog/2025/05/think-before-you-prompt-reduce-your-ai-carbon-footprint-with-rocks/#gref 

University of Montana. (2025). Our AI commitment. https://umontana.ai/commitment 

Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Environmental impact of artificial intelligence. In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 3, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_artificial_intelligence 

Angie Thompson, MFRW, is the Assistant Director of Student Engagement and AI Education at the University of Montana’s Experiential Learning and Career Success department. She leads campus-wide initiatives on ethical, sustainable, and accessible AI integration while overseeing AI-driven career tools, federal advising, and partnerships with the College of Forestry and Conservation, Military and Veterans Services, and UM Wellbeing. Thompson co-chairs the National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) Technology Committee and contributes to the NCDA AI Task Force, the NACE AI Content Special Interest Group, and UM’s AI Future Project. Her customized GPTs, including career-focused and veteran-support models, have become widely used tools for improving accessibility, sustainability, and student empowerment in career services. With more than two decades of experience in higher education, she brings a blend of practical guidance, strategic leadership, and a student-first approach to AI education, career readiness, and green technology adoption. She can be reached at angie.thompson@mso.umt.edu and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/angie-thompson1020