Any Job Can Be A Climate Job She Wrote California's AI Policy in 60 Days | with Nolwenn Godard
Mar 31, 2026
Nolwenn Godard, a sustainability and tech leader who helped draft California’s generative AI policy and now runs Carbon 2C. She unpacks why generative AI uses far more energy than search. She tells how she pushed climate language into policy fast. She explains hidden waste in codebases and practical green software levers for engineers and product folks.
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PayGreen Pitch At PayPal Failed In The U.S.
- Nolwenn proposed PayGreen at PayPal: a carbon calculator added to each payment to offer offsetting at checkout.
- The idea reached the Lab Rats semi-finals and resonated in Europe but fizzled in the U.S. as the timing was too early.
Generative AI Uses Much More Energy Than Traditional AI
- Generative AI is far more energy and water intensive than traditional AI, with video models being dramatically heavier than text models.
- Nolwenn warns against frivolous uses (e.g., flying cat videos) because high-intensity models should prioritize essential applications like medical research.
Wrote California's GenAI Executive Order In 60 Days
- In 60 days Nolwenn led drafting California's first GenAI executive order, engaging industry, academia, nonprofits, and internal agencies.
- She pushed to include climate language—water and carbon impacts—which nearly got cut but remained in the final order.