AI-driven datacenter builds drive Microsoft's emissions up a quarter in one year
Firm faces quandary of wanting to help the environment, but also wanting to force AI on everyone
Microsoft says it matched its entire electricity consumption with renewable energy last year. The bad news is it also increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent due to datacenter construction.
The cloud and software biz has released a 2026 Environmental Sustainability Report [PDF], claiming its environmental sustainability work is entering a new phase due to rapid technological change.
A global shift towards AI is reshaping economies, the report claims, which is becoming “foundational” to how technology is built and used.
Producing the infrastructure to support AI, however, is also upping demand for energy, water, land, and materials required to support it, Microsoft admits.
The foreword, penned by President Brad Smith and Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa, says that “AI can deliver broad societal, economic, and environmental benefits,” and “We do not see...
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