Evidence Review: Big Tech’s Climate Performance and Policy Implications for the UK

Abstract

The UK Government is betting big on AI to deliver growth and competitive advantage for the economy. The AI Opportunities Action Plan calls for the UK’s AI infrastructure to be increased and for the introduction of AI Growth Zones to accelerate the building of data centres. These plans may put the UK’s climate goals at risk. The UK is legally committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, and the current Government has a further ambition to decarbonise the power grid by 2030. This report addresses the current gap that exists in trying to achieve two policy goals: decarbonising the UK and advancing AI infrastructure. We suggest that more effort is needed to balance these two goals. Increasing investment in AI infrastructure will come with large costs in terms of carbon emissions. Tech leaders are all too aware of this trade-off. In this report, we examine both the current climate impact of data centres and their potential future trajectories, driven by AI development and spearheaded by what Big Tech is asking of countries. We synthesise the largest tech firms’ own ESG reports, 2 recent interviews from tech executives, existing analysis of the impact of AI on climate, and market analysis about data centre growth trajectories. We present these trajectories in the context of the UK’s climate goals, grid demands, and energy infrastructure challenges. We argue that democratic oversight and accountability regarding the choices and trade-offs associated with the growth of AI is more crucial than ever in the UK.