Big Tech’s indirect emissions jumped 150% in 3 years amid AI boom, U.N. report says

A United Nations report reveals that indirect carbon emissions from four leading AI-focused tech companies - Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta - increased by an average of 150% from 2020 to 2023. The report attributes this rise to the vast amounts of energy required to power data centers, which are essential for artificial intelligence development. Indirect emissions include those generated by purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by a company. Amazon's operational carbon emissions grew the most, at 182%, followed by Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet. The report tracked the greenhouse gas emissions of 200 leading digital companies between 2020 and 2023. Meta stated that it is working to reduce emissions, energy, and water used to power its data centers, but the other companies did not respond to requests for comment. The report predicts that carbon emissions from top-emitting AI systems will reach up to 102.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year as investment in AI increases. The data centers required for AI development are also putting pressure on existing energy infrastructure. The report highlights that while many digital companies have set emissions targets, these ambitions have not yet translated into actual reductions in emissions. Overall, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving a sharp rise in global electricity demand, with electricity use by data centers increasing four times faster than overall electricity consumption.