ABU DHABI – Leading international law expert and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Professor Damilola Olawuyi, has called for a global shift toward the ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to safeguard the planet and drive sustainable innovation.
Speaking at the high-level plenary of the 7th MENA Environmental Law and Policy Scholars Conference at Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi, Professor Olawuyi emphasised that while AI holds the key to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), its unethical application poses a significant threat to critical scholarship and global stability.
Professor Olawuyi, who serves as the Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, introduced the concept of the “Twin Transition.”
This approach advocates for the simultaneous advancement of digital infrastructure and ecological preservation.
“The exploitative and unethical use of AI is becoming one of the greatest threats to innovation.
“Clarifying the ethical norms underpinning the teaching and practice of environmental law can help us plot a timely and coherent path forward,” Olawuyi warned.
The conference, themed ‘Environmental Law in the Digital Age,’ is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
This year's event drew a distinguished roster of global leaders, including: H.E. Prof. Nathalie Martial-Braz, Chancellor of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, His Highness, Dr Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi (The Green Sheikh), Professor Patricia Mbote SC, Director of the Law Division at UNEP, and representatives from the UNDP, African Union, and UNIDROIT.
Beyond policy, Olawuyi, who also leads the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Middle East and North African Universities (ASSELLMU), called on higher education institutions to revolutionise their curricula.
He urged universities to move beyond traditional silos by blending sustainability with technology to foster a technopreneurial mindset in students.
By educating the next generation on how AI can enhance environmental monitoring and decision-making, Olawuyi believes the world can unlock youth-led innovation that accelerates a climate-smart economy.
The conference concluded with the official flag handover to Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which will host the 8th edition in 2027.
The upcoming summit will focus on ‘Environmental Law and Corporate Responsibility,’ continuing the momentum of integrating digital ethics into corporate and environmental governance.
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