The $770 Billion Question Every Global Corporation Must Answer
JUNE 2026 · 2 MIN READ · SOURCES: PWC · FORRESTER · GARTNER · IDC · S&P GLOBAL
We love what AI can do. It optimises our supply chains, slashes inefficiencies, and promises a smarter, cleaner world. But here’s the uncomfortable truth sitting at the heart of every boardroom sustainability conversation right now: the technology we’re betting on to save the planet may be quietly burning it down.
| $770B Data centre capex in 2025 — surpassing upstream oil & gas S&P Global | 1.7Gt Annual CO₂ AI could add — 2–3% of global emissions Forrester | 14% Companies publicly reporting AI use for sustainability PwC, Aug 2025 |
THE PROBLEM
The Scale Is No Longer Deniable
According to the International Energy Agency, electricity consumption from data centres and AI could double by 2026 — and PwC research confirms that data centres worldwide could consume as much electricity as the entire nation of Japan this year alone.
Forrester puts it bluntly: AI could add 1.3 to 1.7 gigatons of carbon emissions annually. And behind the headline figures, the picture is worse. Microsoft, despite pledging to be carbon negative by 2030, revealed its emissions increased by 29% since 2020, largely driven by data centre construction to support AI workloads.
The AI system that helps you write a report, generate an image, or analyse procurement data? It’s drawing from a grid that — in many regions — still runs on coal.
