UN chief calls on tech industry to use renewable energy for data centers
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on tech companies on Tuesday to power data centers using 100% renewable energy by the year 2030. This is despite the fact that the industry has been turning to coal and gas fired power plants in order to meet the surge in demand.
The Secretary General argued that data centers are energy-hungry and should be redirected to a future of renewable energy. He said the transition is inevitable even though some countries still use fossil fuels.
Guterres stated in an address at the United Nations headquarters in New York that "the future is being constructed in the clouds." It must be powered with the sun, wind and the promise for a better future.
His appeal to tech companies comes just a day before U.S. president Donald Trump announces his AI Action Plan. This plan is expected to include a number executive actions that will ease restrictions on land usage and energy production in order to unleash artificial-intelligence development.
Trump declared a national emergency for energy to meet the huge amounts of energy required by data centers in order to run AI and compete with China. This will allow him to relax environmental restrictions and build more power plants powered by coal, gas and nuclear.
The U.S., and China are the two biggest economic rivals. They are in a race to dominate artificial intelligence.
Trump also issued executive orders, and signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that limits the use of incentives to wind and solar power, which are the most popular new energy sources waiting to be connected to the grid.
Guterres also called on governments to prepare new national climate plans by September to achieve the goals of Paris Climate Agreement that will secure a transition from fossil fuels.
He said that this is a great opportunity for the government to use renewable energy sources and water in cooling systems. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Valerie Volcovici)
(source: Reuters)
