This study offers a comprehensive first assessment of the global carbon leakage potential associated with AI-driven data center operation and investment. The focus is on carbon leakage from costs imposed by emission trading systems (ETS) on data center electricity consumption. The study estimates AI’s current and near-future electricity consumption and evaluates the technological feasibility as well as plausibility of shifting compute loads. Additionally, it maps global compute capacity against carbon intensities and the presence of ETS.

Climate | Energy, Sustainability | Strategies | International matters, Digitalisation
Carbon leakage in AI-driven data center growth?
An assessment of drivers and barriers to the localization of data center operations and investments with respect to carbon pricing policies
Series
Texte | 68/2025
Number of pages
64
Year of publication
Author(s)
Nicolas Schmid, Vlad C. Coroamă, Oana Dumbravă, Martin Eichler, Moritz Reisser, Lynn H. Kaack, Janna Axenbeck, Jürg Füssler
Language
English
Publisher
German Environment Agency
Additional information
PDF is accessible
File size
4559 KB
Price
0,00 €
Print version
not available
rated as helpful
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