Best of LinkedIn: Sustainability & Green ICT CW 42/ 43

Balancing digital acceleration and environmental responsibility: how the AI boom is forcing a global reckoning with the energy, water, and sustainability footprint of data centres.

We curate most relevant posts about Sustainability & Green ICT on LinkedIn and regularly share key takeaways.

This edition offers a comprehensive overview of the escalating tension between the rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the critical need for sustainability, primarily focusing on the environmental impact of data centres. Multiple sources highlight that the immense energy and water demands of AI and data centres pose a significant threat to climate goals, with projections showing resource consumption potentially doubling or more by 2030, raising concerns about a potential "AI bubble" and strain on power grids globally. In response, a strong push for "Green AI" and sustainable digital infrastructure is evident, with experts advocating for solutions such as efficiency gains in software and hardware (Green Software Engineering), transparent sustainability reporting (including Scope 3 emissions), and innovative cooling technologies like water and liquid immersion cooling that reuse heat. Finally, various initiatives, including multi-billion dollar clean energy investments for data centres and new certifications like the Blue Angel for software, demonstrate a rising commitment from governments and major tech corporations like Microsoft and AWS to align digital progress with environmental responsibility.

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