UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on AI companies to disclose environmental impact

By  News On Air   Jun 23, 2026

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today called on artificial intelligence companies to release information about the carbon pollution they create, along with the water and land used to power their operations. Addressing at London Climate Action Week, Mr Guterres urged for action and proposed the AI Environmental Transparency Initiative. He argued that AI companies should assess and publicly disclose the environmental impact of their increasingly sought-after technology, an issue that critics have cited as a reason to limit the rapid expansion of data centers. These companies have faced mounting pressure, both from governments and locally in areas with data centres that support AI, for increased transparency and more standardised reporting across the industry. 

Mr Guterres said AI companies should also commit to powering their facilities with electricity produced with renewable technologies, such as wind and solar, by 2030. His remarks come as many major tech companies have vowed to power their operations using cleaner sources, some by the end of the decade. Some plan to do so especially using solar and nuclear, including tech giants Amazon and Google.