UN chief calls on AI firms to come clean on environmental costs
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on major AI companies to publicly disclose the full environmental costs of their data centers and commit to using renewable power. This initiative aims to address concerns over the high energy and water consumption of data centers, which are projected to consume more power than most countries by 2030. Companies are urged to measure and report their water, carbon, and land use impacts.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched the AI Environmental Transparency Initiative during London Climate Action Week, urging major artificial intelligence companies to publicly disclose the full environmental costs of their data centers. Guterres highlighted the significant energy and water consumption of these facilities, projecting that by 2030, they could use more power than all but five countries and enough water to meet the basic needs of 1.3 billion residents in sub-Saharan Africa for a year.
He called for AI firms to measure and publicly report their water, carbon, and land use impacts, emphasizing a commitment to powering all data centers with renewable energy by 2030. Guterres stressed the importance of transparency for AI to contribute positively to the future. The initiative addresses growing scrutiny from environmental groups regarding the sector's rapid expansion and its current reliance on voluntary net-zero commitments, with some companies exploring gas or nuclear power for new projects.