UN warns of the environmental impact of the digital economy

Digitization, while essential for economic growth, also has worrying environmental repercussions. The UN calls for sustainable policies to manage this boom.
Impact environnemental de la numérisation

Partagez:

Global digital transformation, accelerated by the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), is bringing with it significant environmental challenges. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), developing countries bear a disproportionate share of these impacts. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns of the risks of unregulated digital development.
The data centers required to run digital technologies consume huge amounts of electricity and water. At the same time, the extraction of raw materials for digital devices depletes natural resources, exacerbating environmental challenges.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Technology giants such as Google and Microsoft, although committed to carbon neutrality policies, are seeing their greenhouse gas emissions rise. Google recently reported a 48% increase in emissions compared to 2020, while Microsoft noted a 29% increase.
The rise of generative AI is driving these companies to invest massively, with a projected $1,000 billion commitment to infrastructure and data centers over the next few years. Despite these investments, concrete results in terms of sustainability remain limited.

Energy Consumption and Mineral Resources

Power consumption by data centers reached 460 terawatt-hours in 2022, and could double by 2026. In Ireland, this consumption has quadrupled since 2015, accounting for 18% of national electricity in 2022, with a projection to 28% by 2031.
Extraction of the minerals needed to manufacture electronic components, such as lithium and cobalt, is set to increase by 500% between now and 2050. The manufacture of a single computer requires around 800 kg of raw materials, illustrating the enormous demand on resources.

The Challenges of Cryptocurrency

The energy required to mine Bitcoin, the most widely used cryptocurrency, increased by 34% between 2015 and 2023. Annual consumption of 121 terawatt-hours exceeds that of countries like Belgium and Finland, representing a significant energy burden.
UNCTAD’s Shamika Sirimanne stresses the need to start discussing the responsible use of AI before it’s too late. Digitization, while driving economic growth, must be sustainable and inclusive.
The current situation calls for robust policies to ensure sustainable and equitable digital growth, minimizing environmental impacts while promoting innovation and technological development.

Budapest and Bratislava jointly reject the European Commission's proposal to ban Russian energy supplies, highlighting significant economic risks and a direct threat to their energy security, days ahead of a key meeting.
Libya officially contests Greece's allocation of offshore oil permits, exacerbating regional tensions over disputed maritime areas south of Crete, rich in hydrocarbons and contested by several Mediterranean states.
Hungary, supported by Slovakia, strongly expresses opposition to the European Commission's plan to phase out imports of Russian energy resources, citing major economic and energy impacts for Central Europe.
Israeli military strikes on Iran's Natanz nuclear site destroyed critical electrical infrastructure but did not reach strategic underground facilities, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The French president travels to Nuuk on 15 June to support Greenlandic sovereignty, review energy projects and respond to recent US pressure, according to the Élysée.
Kazakhstan has selected Rosatom and China National Nuclear Corporation to build two nuclear power plants totaling 2.4 GW, a decision following a favorable referendum and coinciding with Xi Jinping’s upcoming strategic visit.
Israeli strikes against Iranian nuclear sites disrupt US-Iranian talks on the nuclear deal. Tehran now considers canceling the upcoming negotiation round in Oman, heightening regional economic concerns.
Facing alarming breaches of uranium enrichment thresholds by Iran and explicit existential threats, Israel launches targeted military strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure, escalating regional tensions dramatically.
The Kremlin has confirmed that Vladimir Putin aims to help resolve the nuclear dispute between the United States and Iran, leveraging strengthened strategic ties with Tehran.
President Lee Jae-myung adopts an energy diplomacy rooted in national interest, amid a complex international landscape of rivalries that could create challenging situations for the country and its energy businesses.
Paris and Warsaw held a bilateral workshop in Warsaw to strengthen coordination on electricity infrastructure investments and supply security under the Nancy Treaty.
Donald Trump firmly rejects any uranium enrichment by Iran, while Russia affirms Tehran’s right to civil nuclear power, intensifying tensions in negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program.
Syria has signed a $7bn agreement with a consortium of companies from Qatar, Turkey and the United States to rebuild its national power sector.
Friedrich Merz confirmed that Germany would block any attempt to relaunch the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, despite internal calls suggesting a potential reopening of dialogue with Moscow.
A memorandum of understanding formalises energy cooperation between the European Union and the Latin American Energy Organization, including permanent EU participation in the organisation’s governance bodies.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that Hungary would oppose the EU's plan to ban Russian energy deliveries by 2027, both legally and politically.
Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of Saxony, proposed restarting dialogue with Russia on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, despite clear opposition from the German government to any reactivation of the project.
Donald Trump is calling on the United Kingdom to abandon wind energy in favor of revitalizing offshore oil extraction, sparking debate over the economic and political implications of such an energy strategy after their recent trade agreement.
China and Egypt concluded over 30 energy-focused agreements, including electric vehicles, smart grids and storage technologies.
Facing Russian dominance in the Akkuyu nuclear project, Turkey accelerates international negotiations, aiming to mitigate risks related to energy dependency and potential strategic conflicts of interest.