U.N. report links AI and cloud computing to 301Mt CO2
Technology
A fresh U.N. report just dropped some big numbers on the climate impact of AI.
In 2024 alone, 200 major tech companies pumped out 301 million metric tons of carbon emissions, about 0.8% of all energy-related emissions worldwide.
The reason? All that AI and cloud computing takes serious power.
Tech firms used nearly 500TWh
These companies used nearly 500 terawatt-hours of electricity (that's around 1.7% of global usage), and some saw their emissions jump by as much as 239% from 2020 to 2024.
While most set goals to cut emissions, 85 companies were assessed as on-track based on progress to date: Swisscom topped the list, but big names like X and SpaceX didn't even get a score.
The U.N. is urging tech giants to step up before things get worse.