The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on major artificial intelligence companies to publicly disclose the full environmental cost of their data centres and use renewable power, launching a transparency initiative for the sector during London Climate Action Week.
AI Data Centres Under Scrutiny
The rapid development of data centres globally to fuel the AI revolution has drawn scrutiny from environmental groups for their high energy and water use and lack of transparency. Guterres warned that by 2030, AI data centres could consume more power than all but five countries and enough water to meet the basic needs of all 1.3 billion residents of sub-Saharan Africa for an entire year.
“If AI is to help build a better future, it must be honest about what it costs us now,” Guterres said. He urged AI firms to measure and publicly disclose their water, carbon, and land use impacts and commit to powering all data centres with renewable energy by 2030 as part of the UN's AI Environmental Transparency Initiative.
Voluntary Commitments Not Enough
Currently, AI companies rely on voluntary net-zero commitments and renewable electricity targets to decarbonise their operations. Many are also turning to gas or touting nuclear as a power source for new projects. Guterres criticised this approach, noting the world remains off track to meet global climate goals and condemning voices calling for more fossil fuel use.
He emphasised that deploying more renewable power projects and using them to electrify transport, buildings, and industry is among the fastest ways to cut emissions and break reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Call to Action on Methane
Guterres also launched a call to action on methane emissions, which includes asking fossil fuel companies to fix leaks, stop routine flaring, and adopt a science-based global standard. “I am urging the fossil fuel industry to step up and do what is long overdue,” he said. Methane drives around one-third of global warming and is 80 times more powerful than CO2, but aggressive cuts could deliver visible temperature benefits within a generation.
Upcoming Climate Summit
Guterres announced he will convene world leaders in September ahead of the UN Climate Conference, COP31, in Turkey, to help drive forward a “just transition” away from fossil fuels.
