Market Insight: Accounting For AI’s Rising Emissions
Access this research
Access all Carbon Management Software content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report
Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance
Executive Summary
The rapid expansion of AI is driving a surge in emissions, fuelled by energy-intensive data centres, model training and inference processes. Hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Meta and Microsoft are at the forefront of this growth, yet transparency in reporting AI-related emissions remains inconsistent. As AI adoption accelerates, questions arise: how are these firms accounting for the environmental impact of AI and is there an emerging best practice for disclosure? This report examines the sustainability disclosures of four leading hyperscalers, assessing how they account for AI in their corporate carbon footprint. By identifying gaps and highlighting effective approaches, the analysis provides actionable insights for improving accountability and finding workarounds to calculate AI emissions.
Figure 1. Different types of AI-related emissions come from varying sources
Figure 2. Hyperscalers’ emissions have seen a large increase in the last five years
Figure 3. Analysis of four hyperscalers’ AI emissions and energy-related reporting
About the Authors
.png?sfvrsn=db470322_1)
Alessandra Leggieri
Senior Analyst
Alessandra is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in carbon management and software for product carbon footprints. Her research spans over 100 vendors in the carbon ma...
View Profile
Ryan Skinner
Research Director
Ryan is a Research Director at Verdantix, where he leads a team of analysts delivering research, data and advisory services that help clients navigate the fast-evolving landsc...
View ProfileOther related content
Digital decarbonization is evolving rapidly, and many of the tools used for carbon reporting today are not designed to support the operational decisions organizations need to make ...
Upcoming / 28 May, 2026
On April 14, product lifecycle intelligence software vendor Makersite announced the acquisition of SiGREEN, Siemens's product carbon footprint (PCF) and supply chain data exchange ...
21 April, 2026
Carbon management decisions have become harder. Buyers are navigating a crowded market with over 100 solutions, many of which feel indistinguishable. Regulatory signals are less de...
26 March, 2026
The recently released Verdantix Green Quadrant: Enterprise Carbon Management Software (2026) evaluates 21 prominent carbon management software providers, assessing their capabili...
18 March, 2026
Digital decarbonization technologies – encompassing a range of solutions across the carbon data life cycle, from source to end-use – have proliferated over the past decade. Based o...
17 March, 2026