A new report warns that Europe’s push to expand AI-driven data centres could place enormous strain on energy supplies and significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions. Released ahead of France’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit, the report by non-profit organisation Beyond Fossil Fuels predicts that electricity demand could rise by up to 160 per cent by 2030, surpassing Spain’s total energy consumption in 2022.
If fossil fuels continue to power these centres, emissions could surge from 5 million tons of CO2-equivalent in 2025 to 39 million tons by 2030—more than the combined total emissions of Lithuania and Estonia in 2022. Jill McArdle, an international corporate campaigner for Beyond Fossil Fuels, emphasised the urgency of the situation. “If the data centre growth relies on fossil gas, it will fuel the climate crisis. Expansion must align with renewable energy buildout.”
More than half of this projected energy demand will stem from new data centre builds across the continent. The report, based on data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and McKinsey, outlines four scenarios, examining demand levels and whether centres are powered by fossil fuels or renewable sources. It concludes that if all centres relied on renewable energy, there would be no additional emissions by 2030.
Currently, data centres account for about three per cent of Europe’s electricity consumption. However, usage is not evenly distributed, with Ireland and the Netherlands consuming 21 per cent and 5.4 per cent of their national energy supplies, respectively.
Big Tech companies claim they are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. Google’s parent company Alphabet aims to power all its data centres with carbon-free energy by 2030, while Microsoft is using sustainable building materials to cut emissions. The EU has also updated its Energy Efficiency Directive, requiring data centre operators to disclose emissions twice a year. However, Beyond Fossil Fuels insists greater transparency is needed to hold tech firms accountable for their energy use and sustainability commitments.
