28 October 2026

Data centres and AI at COP31

Media briefing and AI pledge reaction

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October 2026

 

Context

AI and data centres are becoming more and more prominent in climate discussions and, building on previous COPs, they have been included as part of the Action Agenda for a UN climate summit by the Turkish presidency for COP31. Today’s launch of the Antalya AI pledge gives a clear message of how much of a priority the challenge of data centres’ unchecked growth is. 

The boom of AI and the data centres brought about by Big Tech has made the issue of how they are powered and how much power they draw extremely concerning, as resources are already scarce and the world needs to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

In addition, and intrinsically linked to the devastating impacts of climate breakdown, the current fossil fuel crisis and the subsequent cost of living crises, we now face the challenges of the unchecked expansion of Big Tech’s data centres.

On 6-7 November, local communities in many European countries will rise up to stop dirty data centres where they live, calling for an immediate moratorium on large data centres in Europe. In the COP31’s host city, Antalya, a thematic Science, Industry and Technology will take place on Monday 16th November.

 

Who we are

Beyond Fossil Fuels (BFF) is a European NGO investigating the energy impact of the data centre boom, as well as the risks to consumers and the accountability of big tech companies, energy regulators and governments. The aim is to ensure that the necessary safeguards are put in place to prevent such unchecked expansion.

BFF founded and is today a core part of the growing tech and climate/energy community in Europe, which now includes more than 30 organisations, working on the consequences of the unchecked growth of Big Tech’s AI and data centres. On the other hand, Beyond Fossil Fuels has a strong presence in Türkiye and is a member of the Turkish Climate Network (İklim Ağı), and will be present in Antalya. 

 

The Antalya AI pledge

The Antalya Artificial Intelligence Pledge launched today is presented as a solution to climate change and its devastating consequences; however, it brings no evidence that AI can benefit climate action. 

“A climate pledge that ignores what is needed to fix the footprint of AI’s infrastructure risks becoming a green label for business as usual. Similarly to how climate summits fail to put an end to the main driver of climate change -fossil fuels-, now we are hearing about data centres being part of the solutions to the emergency we live in. While the data centre boom is already a massive threat to climate action and successful electrification, there is no convincing evidence that AI will deliver climate benefits, yet this pledge seeks to integrate energy-hungry data centres into electricity grids when that capacity is urgently needed to provide electricity to homes, transport and industry. Governments must deprioritise data centres for grid access giving priority to electrification and homes, rule out new fossil fuels for AI and require data centres to run on additional renewable energy. Big Tech must disclose each data centre’s energy and water consumption and energy mix. Local communities should not be left paying the price.” – Jill McArdle, Corporate Campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels

  • Advancing AI solutions for the climate is the opposite of what data centres actually do, as big tech’s infrastructure and activities are actively harmful to the climate. The pledge seeks to secure “effective integration” of AI and data centres into electricity grids -a worrying objective as governments should deprioritise data centres and their grid access to ensure sufficient energy for the electrification of other sectors that are key in the energy transition such as transport or heavy industry. 
  • The pledge should be committing no new fossil fuels for AI and a mandate to be powered by additional renewable energy, instead of its weak commitment to progressively require zero and low-emission energy.
  • Governments should demand Big Tech to disclose relevant data and show corporate accountability. The pledge focuses on measuring AI systems and misses data centres owners and operators who must also disclose the energy and water consumption of each data centre and its energy mix.
  • The pledge pays lip service to costs and totally ignores communities who are on the frontlines and rejecting AI infrastructure en masse.

 

Greenwashing and data centres

  • 73% of claims about AI climate benefits are unproven
  • NVIDIA’s greenwashing of AI climate benefits masks 725% surge in emissions 

The big tech industry’s claims about the climate benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) are a hoax, according to a report released earlier this year commissioned and published by a consortium of environmental organisations. A staggering 73% of claims about AI climate benefits are unproven, benefiting tech and fossil fuel industries’ profits, while downplaying the major climate harms of generative AI.

The research looked at 172 statements claiming AI will serve as a net climate benefit – including from companies like Google and Microsoft, and from institutions such as the International Energy Agency – and analysed critically for the first time the claim that AI will be a net benefit to climate action, making up for the increased fossil fuel demand by AI-driven data centres. According to the findings, only 27% of the claims cited published academic papers and 37% did not cite any evidence at all. The analysis did not uncover a single example where consumer generative systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot were leading to a material, verifiable, and substantial level of emissions reductions. 

A recent independent analysis of NVIDIA’s own climate reports reveals that the emissions relating to the supply chain of chip manufacturing, key for AI expansion, have exploded by 725% since 2020. The report, supported by a consortium of civil society groups, estimates for the first time downstream use of NVIDIA’s sold chips. This could be up to 21 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, nearly twice their supply chain emissions and on par with the product-use emissions of state-owned Russian coal.

 

Siemens and data centres

Siemens Energy, who will be present at COP31, is a facilitator for the global expansion of Big Tech’s gas-fired data centers, deepening Europe’s dependence on dangerous and volatile fossil fuels. In May 2026, its Gas Services division reported 24 GW of data centre-related commitments, out of 87 GW in total, equivalent to roughly 28%. 

Its partnership with Eaton explicitly targets growing demand from AI and cloud computing through a standard 500 MW power plant configuration combining Siemens SGT-800 gas turbines with battery storage.

Siemens Energy markets this offer as providing “clean on-site power”, while specifying that it would use fossil gas initially and switch to “greener” fuels later. Eaton makes future carbon-neutral operation conditional on hydrogen being available and included in the operator’s sustainability strategy. This approach risks using the current AI expansion push to establish lasting fossil fuel dependence. Siemens Energy’s substantial role in wind and grid technology gives it considerable scope to support renewables-based electrification.

According to research by Global Energy Monitor, a total of 189 GW of fossil gas is proposed for data centres in the US alone. Europe is following the US data centre build-out boom trends, and companies are planning new facilities across the continent. Although it remains unclear how many Siemens gas turbines for data centres are planned in Europe, there is already at least one data centre in Ireland that runs on the company’s gas turbines.

At COP, Siemens’ gas business should face concrete questions about expected operating hours, lifetime emissions and binding dates for ending fossil gas use, alongside scrutiny of whether renewables, storage and demand flexibility could meet the same needs.

Data centres and energy bills – The Irish case study

  • The rapid expansion of data centres has drained a staggering €715 million from the Irish economy between 2015 and 2023
  • Data centres currently consume more than 22% of electricity in Ireland
  • Limiting future data centre demand while rapidly accelerating renewable energy deployment could save Irish households an estimated €435 between 2025 and 2034

Rapidly growing and weakly regulated data centre energy demand is driving up fossil gas consumption across Europe, making it harder for countries to keep energy prices stable, reduce dependence on volatile global gas markets, and achieve long-term energy security goals. 

Coupled with fossil gas, the concentration of data centres in particular areas, such as Ireland, affects energy prices, increasing bills and the impact of energy price shocks for households. Ireland already shows the risks of betting on AI development without proper safeguards. A recent report by Beyond Fossil Fuels and Friends of the Earth Ireland showed how the rapid expansion of data centres has drained a staggering €715 million from the Irish economy between 2015 and 2023. Moody’s recently forecasted server farms could consume 17% of Dutch electricity and 30% of Ireland’s by 2035.

Data centres consume over 22% of Ireland’s electricity — the highest per-capita share in the world – reveals that during the last energy crisis, the poorest households paid an extra €209 in total between 2021-2023. Yet Ireland is not the only country in Europe vulnerable to the risk of rising energy bills: while gas use for electricity varies across the EU, other countries, like Italy and the Netherlands, still depend heavily on it.

The report also highlights that different policy choices could significantly reduce costs for households. Scenarios modelled show that limiting future data centre demand while rapidly accelerating renewable energy deployment could save Irish households an estimated €435 between 2025 and 2034, even if another global energy crisis were to occur.

The rush to build new data centres has already driven a fossil gas lock-in in Ireland, with worrying developments in the UK, Germany, Greece, Italy and Romania materialising in new gas plants being planned directly on data centre sites. And off-grid gas is not a silver bullet for the grid, it can still drive up gas demand and prices and keep Europe reliant on volatile and expensive imports.  

 

Data centres and emissions

  • Electricity demand of data centers in Europe could rise by up to 160% by 2030, reaching 287 TWh
  • That is more than Spain’s total electricity consumption in 2022
  • Annual emissions of newly added data centers in the EU could reach 39 million tons of CO2 in 2030

The growth of new data centres could put a strain on Europe’s power systems, undermining its climate ambitions, according to a study by Beyond Fossil Fuels. It reveals that data centre growth in Europe is leading to a surge in power demand, posing a serious risk of escalating greenhouse gas emissions — either through expanded gas infrastructure or by pushing other sectors onto fossil fuels. Estimates reveal that electricity demand of data centers in Europe could rise by up to 160% by 2030 reaching 287 TWh, which is more than Spain’s total electricity consumption in 2022.

If the energy needs of the new data centres were to be met largely by fossil gas, this would have detrimental consequences for people and the climate. Annual emissions of newly added data centers in the EU could reach 39 million tons of CO2 in 2030—more than the combined annual emissions of Lithuania and Estonia (2022 levels).

The extra demand for electricity from data centres must be regulated and met with renewable energy—not fossil fuels—to avoid exacerbating the climate crisis. But if new data centres eat into renewable energy already planned for other sectors of the economy, the result will hinder efforts of these other industries to decarbonise, pushing up emissions.

 

Electrification and data centres

  • A global electrification target of 35% of final energy demand by 2035 as a welcomed outcome of COP31. 
  • However, electrification will only serve climate action if it is powered by renewable energy and displaces fossil fuels. 
  • Electrifying sectors such as buildings, heating, transport, should be prioritised over data centres. 

Beyond Fossil Fuels welcomed COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum’s proposal to anchor a global electrification target of 35% of final energy demand by 2035 as a key outcome of COP31. However, electrification will only serve climate action if it is powered by renewable energy and displaces fossil fuels -conditions a group of civil society organisations agreed on in a letter to the COP31 Presidencies.

Unchecked data centre expansion poses a significant threat to the electrification agenda. Today, new data centres, propelled by Big Tech’s AI race, are one of the main drivers of the global expansion of fossil gas power generation in countries such as the UK, where more than 100 datacentres plan to burn gas to generate electricity.

Industries across Europe are opposed to data centres taking so much grid space. In Denmark for example, Lidl could not electrify its fleet due to a lengthy grid queue with data centres making up the majority of requests. Denmark has introduced measures to deprioritise data centres for grid access. In Ireland and the Netherlands, both heavily congested data centre hubs, electrification of transportation has been stalled. In Spain, industries are asking the government to deprioritise data centres to ensure affordable clean energy for other key sectors like steel and chemicals. Meanwhile, shares of renewable energy in data centre-heavy regions like Ireland are stagnating, and electricity growth is putting pressure on even regions like Aragon in Spain with abundant wind and solar energy. 

And even if powered by renewables, data centres expansion risks eating into clean electricity supply to critical industries, buildings and transport, which should be on top of the decarbonisation agenda. The costs associated with this expansion include those around increased grid pressure, and in some cases trade-offs between critical social sectors and data centres resource use, unless clear guardrails are put in place.

 

People’s demand: Halt unchecked data centre expansion

  • A recent poll finds the majority of Europeans(76%) think that new data centre facilities should be built only if powered by renewable energy.  
  • 73% think governments should put clear criteria in place to ensure energy distribution.

Europeans are concerned about who pays for data centres, and do not want to see them prioritised in an energy shortage. Yet, the EU Commission’s approach seems to move in the opposite direction and double down on putting data centres and US Big Tech’s interests before people.

This was the result of a poll in five European countries published by a group of civil society organisations and commissioned to Savanta, to understand European citizens’ views on the growth of data centres, their energy impacts, and the responsibility of both Big Tech and governments.

Majorities across all markets and demographics (73%) expressed that governments should put clear criteria in place to ensure energy distribution (in other words, how priority access to electricity for different sectors and uses is determined) and (76%) think that new data centre facilities should be built only if powered by renewable energy.

 

Policies in Europe and data centres

  • The EU aims to triple its data centre capacity by 2032, despite impacts on emissions, gas lock-in, and further geopolitical security aspects. 
  • In August 2026, Spain introduced stricter data centre rules: At least 80% of their energy supply must come from renewable sources for every hour of operation. For every new megawatt of energy used, a new megawatt of renewable energy must be installed within 18 months of the facility starting operation. 
  • In August 2026, Denmark introduced an emergency law to overhaul access to its power grid, including making most data centers the lowest priority.

 

The EU is planning on tripling data centres in Europe by 2032 as part of its Tech sovereignty package and the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA). This proposal has become a major risk for the European energy transition and electrification, and is poorly backed lacking proper in-depth assessments and data about their CO2 emissions, LNG imports, the consequences for other European industries and the dependence on US Big Tech.

While policy-makers are rolling out the red carpet for data centres driven by the AI hype, measures to safeguard the energy transition are few on the ground.

In Spain, the government proposed strict renewable energy and EU data rules for large data centres just two months ago, a step that even after the latest revision shows that it is possible to set some rules and standards for Big Tech. Under that decree, data-centre projects would need to demonstrate that they meet the conditions before securing access to the grid. A Bloomberg op-ed by Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, last September, hints that data centres expansion “is a source of growing political and public concern”. 

Last summer, Denmark introduced an emergency law to overhaul access to its power grid, including by making most data centers the lowest priority, as the country’s energy minister warned that the current system risks derailing the transition to green energy. The new law replaced the first-come, first-serve system, giving the energy ministry the power to set new rules about who gets priority access to the grid. The law proposes four categories of power consumers, with the highest priority for grid access given to increased demand from current customers and projects that support electrification and the green transition.

Earlier this year, a data centre company suing the grid operator in the Netherlands demanded half a million euros per day for every day without a grid connection, pushing to be given a priority grid connection in an area with severe grid congestion — and lost. The judge ruled in favour of the grid operator and agreed that grid overload and outage risks were sufficient and legitimate reasons to deny the lawsuit.

 

Useful resources:

Contacts:

  • Nina Tramullas, Head of Media, [email protected], +34 676 030 140
  • Nilay Vardar, Türkiye Communications Manager, [email protected] +90 533 310 8998 (present in Antalya for the COP31)

 

About Us:

Beyond Fossil Fuels is a civil society network committed to ensuring a just and rapid transition to a fossil-free, renewables-based future. Building upon the Europe Beyond Coal campaign, its goal is for Europe to be coal-free by 2030 and phase out fossil gas from the power sector by 2035. A clean and flexible energy system will deliver lasting benefits for people, the climate and the broader economy. Beyond Fossil Fuels is a non-profit organisation with an office in Berlin, with staff spread across Europe. www.beyondfossilfuels.org