The United Nations Secretary-General has called on artificial intelligence companies to be more transparent about the environmental impact of their technologies, urging them to disclose the energy, water, and natural resources required to develop and operate AI systems. As demand for AI-powered services grows rapidly, so does the need for massive data centres that consume large amounts of electricity and water for computing and cooling. The UN warned that without greater transparency, it will become increasingly difficult for governments and the public to understand AI’s true environmental footprint and ensure that technological progress aligns with global climate goals.
The UN also encouraged governments and technology firms to invest in cleaner energy, improve the efficiency of data centres, and adopt international standards for reporting AI-related emissions and resource use. Experts estimate that electricity demand from data centres could more than double by the end of the decade, driven largely by the expansion of AI applications. The UN argues that making environmental reporting a standard practice would help promote accountability, encourage innovation in sustainable computing, and ensure that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence supports, rather than undermines, efforts to combat climate change. More