UN Secretary General Encourages Technology Sector To Use Renewable Energy For Data Center

Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Ant ruhiio Guterres (photo; x @antinooguterres)

JAKARTA Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Ant bigio Guterres, on Tuesday 22 July called on technology companies to use 100% renewable energy in the operation of their data center by 2030.

This call was conveyed amid increasing industrial dependence on coal and gas-fueled power plants to meet soaring energy demand.

Guterres stressed that the transition to clean energy is a necessity, although some countries and companies still rely on fossil fuels.

"The future is being built in the digital world, and it must be powered by the sun, wind, and promises for a better world," Ant teleio Guterres said in a speech at the UN headquarters in New York.

Guterres' invitation comes a day before US President Donald Trump launched the AI Action Plan, which is expected to include a number of executive measures to facilitate the development of artificial intelligence support infrastructure (AI), including relaxation of environmental rules for the construction of fossil and nuclear fuel power plants.

Trump has previously declared a national energy emergency to meet the electricity needs of data centers that support AI development, in order to compete with China. However, its policy limits incentives for wind and solar energy, which actually dominates the queue of new power plants.

The US and China, the world's two largest economic rivals, are currently involved in the AI technology race, with the two countries trying to dominate the field.

On the other hand, Guterres also urged governments of various countries to prepare a national climate plan that is in line with the Paris Agreement before September. He emphasized that this moment is an opportunity for countries to meet electricity demand with renewable energy and use water sustainably in the data center cooling system.