UN Chief Urges AI Industry to Go 100% Renewable by 2030
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called on the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) sector to prioritize sustainable energy solutions. Speaking on Tuesday, Guterres highlighted the enormous energy consumption of AI data centers, warning that their current trajectory is unsustainable.
“A typical AI data center uses the same amount of electricity as 100,000 regular homes,” Guterres noted. With the AI industry booming, these demands are set to skyrocket. “The largest data centers will soon use 20 times the current demand,” he cautioned. “By 2030, data centers could consume as much electricity as all of Japan does today.”
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Guterres urged major technology companies to take immediate action. “The technology sector must be out front,” he said. “Today I call on every major tech firm to power all data centers with 100 percent renewables by 2030.”
Despite the challenges, Guterres highlighted the potential of AI to be part of the solution. “AI can boost efficiency, innovation, and resilience in energy systems,” he pointed out. “We must make the most of it. But it is also energy-hungry.”
The Secretary-General’s remarks come alongside a new UN report stating that data centers currently account for 1.5 percent of global electricity consumption—a figure expected to more than double by 2030. “This is not sustainable unless we make it so,” Guterres stressed.
As young people across the globe become increasingly aware of climate issues, the UN’s message resonates with a generation poised to demand greener technology. The call to action is clear: the AI industry must harness renewable energy to ensure a sustainable future for all.
