A recent report by the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reports an appalling 150% average increase in indirect greenhouse gas emissions by leading tech giants between 2020 and 2023. The tech giants reported in the study include Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), and Meta (Facebook and WhatsApp), whose use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has driven energy use in their international data centre operations aggressively higher.

The ITU report analyzed the environment footprint of the world's top 200 digital players by concentrating on indirect emissions in relation to activities including electricity consumption, cooling and heating, and third-party activities. Indirect emissions or Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions are not directly generated by a company but are due to its activities and supply chain.

Among the firms that were scrutinized, Amazon recorded the biggest jump in emissions at 182%. This was followed by Microsoft with a 155% rise, then Meta and Alphabet with respective increases of 145% and 138%. The report indicates that the majority of this growth comes from AI systems that require a lot of computational power, thus requiring data centres to engage in intense energy usage. Both the training and the deployment of AI models are power-intensive operations, and the worldwide race to dominate AI research has boosted electricity resource demand.

The research points out that increases in emissions have been faster than the pace at which total global electricity consumption has increased. The ITU approximates that data centre power consumption is increasing four times faster than the global average, prompting queries about the sustainability of the digital technology industry. This trend, if not checked, would intensify pressures on global power grids and erode climate action objectives.

Even though most of the technology companies being investigated have publicly made sustainability commitments, the report says that the undertaking has been lacking. There has been the promise of net-zero operations, renewable energy investments, and data center efficiency innovation but the resulting emissions continue to rise. Meta, for instance, has been working on reducing the usage of energy and water at its data centers, while Amazon has locked in significant renewable energy deals. Microsoft has brought out several cooling technologies and seeks to reshape the design of data centres in order to lower consumption. ITU, however, asserts that these efforts have not yet translated into measurable success in reducing net emissions.

It further calculates that if the existing investment in AI continues at the same pace, AI-related emissions would amount up to 102.6 million tonnes in a single year. This would render it even harder to realize decarbonisation ambitions globally and test the long-term green legacy of digital transformation.

Of worry is the rapid growth of cloud infrastructure. Since cloud computing is the industry leader in AI services, enormous server farms are being built or increased on a regular basis. This produces enormous construction emissions and increasing use of non-renewable energy sources. While some businesses are going out of their way to avoid using renewable resources, most data centres continue to rely on conventional sources of energy, particularly in countries with carbon-intensive electricity grids.

The ITU report puts the spotlight on the gap between corporate sustainability commitments and reality. Greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments may be made, but they have not yet taken tangible form. This is an indicator of the challenge of balancing rapid technological advancements with environmental stewardship.

The ITU recommends that unless there are regulatory measures, more robust reporting frameworks, and stronger accountability, the trend of growing emissions will continue. Additionally, the report advocates for greater international cooperation on sustainable AI practices such as the application of universal standards to measure data centre emissions and public disclosure by technology companies.

The report also provides that investors, regulators, and consumers such as stakeholders will need to take a more active role in calling for action and disclosure. With AI taking a central position in global innovation and economic growth, keeping its environmental impact in check will be essential in the coming years.

The results throw into question the direction of the technology sector in the future. With artificial intelligence transforming products, services, and infrastructure, the demand for computational power will be bound to increase even more. Without strategic vision and creativity in green technologies, green costs can outpace the dividends of digital transformation.

Governments and the private sector are now being called upon to come together to scale clean energy solutions that suit the requirements of high-performance data centres. The success of integrating AI into everyday life, business, and government will not only depend on its intelligence, but also on the sustainability of the systems that enable it.

The ITU report is a timely reminder of the green cost of digital advancement. The numbers in the report indicate an unmistakable trend: AI take-up is contributing substantially and quantifiably to emissions. This helps to remind us of the need for thorough plans for ensuring that further AI advancement does not happen at the expense of environmental equilibrium.

Source & Credits:
2025 Reuters – Adaption of original article taken from KnowESG.