UN Secretary General António Guterres has urged technology companies to power data centres fully with renewable energy by 2030. He spoke at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Guterres also warned that many data centres now run on gas and coal, adding to the climate crisis.
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He called this shift essential for tackling climate change. Data centres are the backbone of AI and cloud computing. But many are still powered by fossil fuels. Guterres said the decision on whether the future of the web is clean or dirty rests with tech leaders.
The appeal came the day before the US president was scheduled to unveil an AI action plan. That plan leans toward using electricity from gas and coal to support AI competitiveness. Guterres warned this could lock in dirty energy systems for years.
He urged governments to develop national climate plans that direct new energy demand to wind and solar. He also stressed the importance of sustainable water use for cooling data centres.
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Experts note that data demand is rising as AI workloads expand. This means a need for more energy and better cooling systems. The risk is that fast growth in AI could boost emissions unless action is taken now.
How companies respond matters. A move to solar or wind could not only cut emissions but also safeguard their public image. It could also ease pressure from investors and regulators pushing for greener practices.
If tech firms and governments heed Guterres’s call, the industry might reach a turning point. A greener data infrastructure could help limit climate change and power digital services sustainably.
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This message could shape how cloud platforms, AI firms, and telecom companies invest in green power. It may mark the start of a new era for cleaner tech infrastructure worldwide.
