According to the report, titled Greening Digital Companies 2025: Monitoring emissions and climate commitments, the use of AI technologies has contributed to an increase in both direct and indirect global emissions. “The digital companies assessed in this year’s report consumed an estimated 581 TWh of electricity (2.1% of global demand), with AI being one probable driver of this growth,” states the document. And 10 tech companies were responsible for 50% of those emissions. “Currently, there are no standards or legislative requirements for companies to disclose their AI emissions or energy consumption, which makes understanding the impact of AI on company-level energy use less straightforward,” states the report. “However, data from company reports show an increasing trend in operational emissions for companies with a high level of AI adoption.” The study noted that the combined annual carbon footprint of these tech companies is equivalent to the total yearly emissions of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile combined. The UN agency emphasized that companies should disclose more comprehensive data and publish dedicated climate reports. A recent report shared by Nature also noted how AI has been rapidly increasing energy demands—in Ireland, data centers consume 20% of the national electricity— and highlighted the lack of data on energy consumption.
