{"id":382531,"date":"2025-06-10T14:36:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T12:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=382531"},"modified":"2025-06-10T14:36:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T12:36:11","slug":"who-would-have-guessed-it-tech-sector-emissions-energy-use-grow-with-rise-of-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=382531","title":{"rendered":"Who would have guessed it? \u201cTech sector emissions, energy use grow with rise of AI\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Anthony Watts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the International Telecommunication Union and the \u201cno sh** Sherlock\u201d department, comes this bit of obviousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Transparency and accountability on climate action also move higher in period covered by ITU-WBA Greening Digital Companies report Reports and Proceedings<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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image:\u00a0The ITU-WBA Greening Digital Companies Report 2025<\/strong>
Credit: International Telecommunication Union (ITU)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Geneva, 5 June 2025<\/strong> \u2013 Tech sector carbon emissions continued their rise in recent years, fueled by rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data infrastructure, according to Greening Digital Companies 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, produced by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) \u2014 the UN agency for digital technologies \u2014 and the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), tracks the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy use, and climate commitments of 200 leading digital companies as of 2023, the most recent year for which full data is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the annual report calls on digital companies to address their growing environmental footprint, it also indicates encouraging progress. Worldwide, more companies had set emissions targets, sourced renewable energy and aligned with science-based frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAdvances in digital innovation \u2014 especially AI \u2014 are driving up energy consumption and global emissions,\u201d said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. \u201cWhile more must be done to shrink the tech sector\u2019s footprint, the latest Greening Digital Companies report shows that industry understands the challenge \u2014 and that continued progress depends on sustaining momentum together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global AI expansion fuels energy demand<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest edition of the report, electricity consumption by data centers \u2014 which power AI development and deployment, among other uses \u2014 increased by 12 per cent each year from 2017 to 2023, four times faster than global electricity growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four leading AI-focused companies alone saw their operational emissions increase in the reporting period by 150 per cent on average since 2020. This rise in energy that is either produced or purchased \u2013 known as Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions \u2013 underscores the urgent need to manage AI\u2019s environmental impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In total, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reported by the 166 digital companies covered by the report contributed 0.8 per cent of all global energy-related emissions in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 164 digital companies that reported electricity consumption accounted for 2.1 per cent of global electricity use, at 581 terawatt-hours (TWh), with 10 companies responsible for half of this total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDigital companies have the tools and influence to lead the global climate transition, but progress must be measured not only by ambition, but by credible action,\u201d said Lourdes O. Montenegro, Director of Research and Digitisation at WBA. \u201cThis report provides a clear signal to the international community: more companies are stepping up, but emissions and electricity use continues to rise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progress amid rising challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although emissions continued their rise, Greening Digital Companies 2025 highlights steps taken by many tech firms that suggest a strengthening of transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight companies scored above 90 per cent in the report\u2019s climate commitment assessment on data disclosure, targets and performance. This is up from just three in last year\u2019s report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time, the report includes data on companies\u2019 progress toward meeting climate targets and realizing stated net-zero ambitions. Almost half of the companies assessed had committed to achieving net-zero emissions, with 41 firms targeting 2050 and 51 aiming for earlier deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other trends among the 200 digital companies featured in the report include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n