A new United Nations report has sounded the alarm over a sharp rise in operational carbon emissions from major tech companies amid the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and data center infrastructure.
Between 2020 and 2023, the average emissions of the world’s leading tech firms jumped by 150 percent, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN digital agency. The report blames the rise primarily on the power-hungry demands of advanced AI models and large-scale data processing systems.
📈 Who’s Polluting the Most?
The biggest culprits include:
- Amazon: Emissions rose by 182%
- Microsoft: Up by 155%
- Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Increased by 145%
- Alphabet (Google’s parent): Up by 138%
These figures include both direct operational emissions and indirect emissions from energy consumption, which surged as these companies expanded their AI services and cloud platforms.
⚠️ AI Is Fueling a New Carbon Crisis
“Advances in digital innovation – especially AI – are driving up energy consumption and global emissions,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General. Without intervention, the agency estimates that emissions from AI systems could soon exceed 102.6 million tonnes of CO2 annually – more than the total emissions of some small countries.
Despite the spike, there are currently no mandatory global standards requiring companies to report emissions directly related to AI or cloud computing use. This lack of regulation is making it harder to accurately measure the environmental toll of the digital revolution.
🏭 Data Centers: Silent Power Guzzlers
The boom in AI and cloud computing has significantly increased the energy consumption of data centers, which serve as the backbone of online services. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA):
- Data center electricity use has risen 12% year-on-year since 2017
- In 2024, they consumed 415 terawatt-hours (TWh) – around 1.5% of global electricity
- By 2030, that number is expected to reach 945 TWh, surpassing Japan’s national energy use
🔌 Top 10 Power-Hungry Tech Giants
In 2023, just 10 companies accounted for over 50% of the electricity demand from the top 200 tech firms:
- Amazon
- Alphabet
- Microsoft
- Meta
- Samsung Electronics
- TSMC
- China Mobile
- China Telecom
- China Unicom
- SK Hynix
Combined, the 166 firms that disclosed emissions data produced 297 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023 — equivalent to the emissions of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile combined.
🌍 What’s Next? Call for Transparency & Regulation
While many companies tout their carbon-neutral goals and green energy investments, the ITU report suggests that these efforts are not keeping up with the expanding environmental footprint of digital expansion.
“We need international frameworks that force transparency in AI-related energy use, much like we have for traditional industries,” said a climate policy advisor at the IPCC.
🧠 Why It Matters
The world is on a tight deadline to reduce global emissions and meet Paris Agreement targets. If digital industries, especially AI-driven ones, continue on this unchecked growth path, they could severely derail progress toward climate neutrality.
