UN Climate Change executive secretary Simon Stiell has called for greater action from the tech sector in addressing the environmental costs of artificial intelligence, particularly the energy usage of data centres.
In a keynote speech at the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA) Industry Acceleration Summit during Climate Week NYC, Stiell said that “energy-guzzling” AI expansion is “driving up planet-heating pollution from coal, oil and gas, while ratcheting up energy costs for households and businesses.”
‘On thin ice’
He noted that the negative effects of AI, including the fuelling of disinformation, social division, and wealth inequality mean that many tech leaders are “now on thin ice when it comes to license to operate”, and are “sinking deep underwater” when it comes to public support.
He urged leaders in the sector to start to demonstrate “why the benefits of AI outweigh its skyrocketing costs – for the many, not just the tiny few”, including setting and delivering credible climate targets, investing in efficiency, and being more transparent about their energy and water use.
Stiell also pointed to recent progress in the global energy transition, citing data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showing that renewable capacity additions reached 693GW in 2025.
“Thanks to global renewables, humanity avoided almost half a trillion US dollars in fossil fuel costs,” he commented. “Almost half a trillion – that’s a mammoth decarbonisation dividend – that’s more than the national GDP of over three quarters of countries on Earth.”
Climate pledges
Stiell added that the focus now needs to shift towards accelerating action on climate pledges, and enhancing international cooperation, backed by improved access to finance.
“In almost all places, we’re seeing an historic disconnect: between the spiralling scale of the climate crisis impacting billions of daily lives, and the calibre of the response,” he said. “This makes no sense, morally, economically or politically.
“From the tragedy of the Himalayas, to brutal, economy-slowing heatwaves, and the supercharged impacts of El Niño – set to get worse – the climate crisis is now a national economic and security emergency for all nations. It should be top of every government’s agenda.” Read more here.
