New Delhi: AI is revolutionising industries globally, but its rapid pace is leading to concerns regarding the environmental footprint of the infrastructure
supporting it. Data centres are using more and more electricity, water and land as companies try to increase the capacity of their AI technology.
In this context, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has urged big AI firms to be more transparent in their environmental impacts. He made this statement during the London Climate Action Week and called on the industry to take responsibility for the “hidden costs” of the AI boom.
UN launches AI environmental transparency initiative
Guterres announced the United Nations’ new AI Environmental Transparency Initiative on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The initiative aims to encourage AI companies to publicly disclose the environmental impact of their data centres.
He has urged businesses to calculate and disclose their water usage, carbon footprint and land usage. Guterres also called on companies to pledge to use 100 per cent renewable energy for all AI data centres by 2030.
“If AI is to help build a better future, it must be honest about what it costs us now,” he said.
Rising power and water demand under scrutiny
Environmental groups have been increasingly raising the profile of data centres due to their significant energy and water consumption. AI’s global expansion has raised concerns about sustainability and transparency, Reuters reported.
By 2030, data centres could use up more electricity than five countries in the world. He also said their annual water use could be enough to meet the basic needs of the entire population of sub-Saharan Africa for a year.
Some technology companies have also been looking at the use of natural gas and nuclear energy to complement their renewable energy initiatives and support their future AI initiatives.
Call for faster climate action
The UN chief said the world is still not on track to meet its global climate targets. He denounced policies that promote more fossil fuel consumption and urged the speeding up of renewable energy deployment.
Renewable energy projects and switching away from fossil fuel-intensive sources of power in transportation, buildings and industry are some of the quickest pathways to lower emissions and dependence on imported fossil fuels, Guterres said in the report.
UN pushes for methane emission reductions
In addition to the AI transparency initiative, Guterres also launched a new call to action on methane emissions. He called on the oil and gas companies to mend leaks, stop flaring and implement science-based global standards.
Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, accounting for about a third of the current global warming, he said. He is calling on the fossil fuel industry to “take action which is long overdue”.
Guterres also announced that the world leaders will meet in September ahead of the COP31 climate summit in Turkey. During the meeting, focus will be on enhancing global climate commitments in a fair and orderly move away from fossil fuels.
