LONDON (MSI) — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called on artificial intelligence companies to release information about the carbon pollution they create, along with the water and land used to power their operations, proposing a new transparency initiative at London Climate Action Week.
Guterres’ proposal, the AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, would require AI companies to measure and disclose the environmental impact of their increasingly in-demand technology — impact that has been cited by opponents as reasons to curb the rapid growth of data centers. The secretary-general also urged AI companies to commit to powering their facilities with electricity produced from renewable technologies, such as wind and solar, by 2030.
“No more hidden costs,” Guterres said at Europe’s largest independent climate conference. “No more shifting the burden onto those least able to bear it. It is time to come clean.”
The address comes as AI companies contend with mounting pressure from governments and from communities located near data centers that support AI, both demanding increased transparency and more standardized reporting across the industry. The environmental costs of AI — from the electricity needed to run massive server clusters to the water consumed by cooling systems — have drawn growing scrutiny as data center construction accelerates worldwide.
MSI previously reported that the rapid expansion of data centers to support AI technology has placed significant strain on tech companies’ climate goals, with energy demand from the facilities complicating corporate pledges to reduce carbon emissions.