Tech sector carbon emissions continue to rise in recent years, fuelled by rapid advances in AI and associated data infrastructure.

This is according to a report produced by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of the UN, which found that ten tech companies are responsible for half of all data centre energy consumption.

According to the research, electricity consumption by data centres increased by 12% each year from 2017 to 2023, four times faster than global electricity growth.

“Advances in digital innovation — especially AI — are driving up energy consumption and global emissions,” said ITU secretary-general Doreen Bogdan-Martin.

“While more must be done to shrink the tech sector’s footprint, the latest Greening Digital Companies report shows that industry understands the challenge — and that continued progress depends on sustaining momentum together.”

Four leading AI-focused companies alone saw their operational emissions increase in the reporting period by 150% on average since 2020. This rise in energy that is either produced or purchased underscores the urgent need to manage AI’s environmental impact.

In total, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reported by the 166 digital companies covered by the report contributed 0.8% of all global energy-related emissions in 2023. This is equivalent to the combined emissions of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, which have a combined population of over 77 million.

The 164 digital companies that reported electricity consumption accounted for 2.1 per cent of global electricity use, at 581 terawatt-hours (TWh), with 10 companies responsible for half of this total.

Recommended reading

• Experts Call for Urgent Action to Help UK Meet Net Zero Targets
• AI May Consume Half of Data Centre Power by End of 2025
• How Many Scots Support Clean Energy Infrastructure Being Built?

These ten companies are: China Mobile, Amazon, Samsung Electronics, China Telecom, Alphabet, Microsoft, TSMC, China Unicom, SK Hynix, and Meta.

“Digital companies have the tools and influence to lead the global climate transition, but progress must be measured not only by ambition, but by credible action,” said Lourdes O. Montenegro, director of Research and Digitisation at WBA.

“This report provides a clear signal to the international community: more companies are stepping up, but emissions and electricity use continues to rise.”