AI companies should release environmental impact, commit to clean energy, says UN chief

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday 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.

While urging action in an address at London Climate Action Week, Guterres proposed the AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, arguing AI companies should measure and disclose the impact of their increasingly in-demand technology — impact which has been cited by opponents as reasons to curb the rapid growth of data centers. These companies have faced mounting pressure, both from governments and locally in areas with data centers that support AI, for increased transparency and more standardized reporting across the industry.

Guterres said AI companies should also commit to powering their facilities with electricity produced with renewable technologies, such as wind and solar, by 2030.

“No more hidden costs,” Guterres said at Europe’s largest independent climate conference. “No more shifting the burden onto those least able to bear it. It is time to come clean.”

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.

But the race to deploy AI has complicated those commitments and sent soaring greenhouse gas emissions, which come from the burning of fuels like oil, coal and gas, and heat the planet. Regulatory barriers have also hindered climate-friendly projects.

Currently, coal sources about 30% of the electricity consumed by data centers globally, according to the International Energy Agency. Renewable energy – primarily wind, solar and hydro powers – supplies about 27%, natural gas, 26%, and nuclear, 15%. Renewables are expected to meet just half of that demand over the next five years.

As AI booms, many, including Guterres, have touted its ability to accelerate climate solutions. It could improve energy efficiency, and reduce pollution and emissions.

At the same time, the environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world’s largest countries, according to a U.N. report released earlier this month.

That report also said the water, energy use and pollution associated with AI will double in just four years. Data centers needed to fuel AI accounted for about 1.5% of the world’s electricity consumption in 2025, and will account for nearly 3% of the world’s projected electricity use by 2030.

“Despite these obvious concerns, communities are often left in the dark about the environmental impact of the infrastructure rising around them,” Guterres said in his remarks.

The U.N. chief has long urged the world to take serious climate action, and will once again convene leaders at the annual Conference of Parties, this year in Turkey, to negotiate plans.

On Tuesday, addressing AI was just a number of steps he said needed to be taken to keep the world below the warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times, a goal set during the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Last year was the first time that the three-year temperature average broke through that threshold.

“Every major emitter must accelerate action,” Guterres said. “And every country must over-deliver on its commitments.”

He called for cutting methane, a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for around one-third of global warming and significantly more potent than carbon dioxide, though comparatively it lingers for less time in the atmosphere. He also called for a reduction in dependence on coal, oil and gas.

Guterres noted in his remarks positive developments in renewable energy, as scale drives down the costs of the technologies and adoption increases.

Clean power generation — largely driven by solar and wind — exceeded overall global electricity demand growth last year. The share of renewables also hit more than one-third of the world’s electricity mix for the first time in modern history in 2025, and coal power saw its share fall below one-third of global generation.

China continues to drive the world's clean energy transition, and in Europe, fossil generation is generally trending down.

But the U.S. under President Donald Trump has embraced coal, oil and gas and slashed support for renewables and broader climate action — all amid the global energy crisis exacerbated by the U.S. war in Iran, which Guterres called “the mother of all energy shocks.”

Guterres referred to the current state of the world as “A Tale of Two Crises," drawing a metaphor to the Charles Dickens’ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities” — also a nod to London where the address was given.

“For the climate agenda, this is indeed the best of times and the worst of times,” he said. “The worst – because climate impacts are intensifying, tipping points are looming, and the energy crisis has exposed the deep risks of dependence on fossil fuels. But also the best – because the renewables revolution is well underway.”

Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

FILE - Solar panels operate April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

FILE - A robot places solar cells on a glass panel at a ReNew manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Jaipur, India, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

FILE - Wind turbines stand in various stages of completion near Deersheim, Germany, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

FILE - The Douglas County Google Data Center complex is visible, March 6, 2026, in Lithia Springs, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

FILE - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement during a media conference at the EU summit in Brussels, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)

PWHL executive Stan Kasten said the goal all along was to begin taking on outside investors once the league doubled in size in reaching 12 teams.

The only flaw in the projection was Kasten — and most everyone else — never anticipating getting there after just three seasons.

“We thought we’d get there in Year 10 or 12,” said the 74-year-old Kasten, whose resume includes executive roles with teams in major league baseball, the NBA and NHL. “And here we are after two-and-a-half years. It’s extraordinary.”

The PWHL’s fast-paced growth reflects surges in attendance, sales and viewership, particularly after the U.S. won gold at the Milan Cortina Games. And the upward trajectory so far belies concerns that the league is taking on too much, too soon.

“I want to hear the case for going slower. I can’t imagine it,” Kasten told The Associated Press.

Though the PWHL has yet to turn a profit, Kasten said its expansion plan and business model are validated by fan support. And it’s reflected in the confidence of the business community, with the Detroit-based Ilitch Cos. and Toronto-based Kilmer Sports Ventures coming on board as the first outside investors.

Outside observers agree.

“Would you tell a men’s league to go slow if they saw a real upside in a developing market? You just wouldn’t,” said Jane McManus, a New York University professor at the Tisch Institute for Global Sport and author of the book, ‘The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women’s Sports.‘

“I’ve seen it firsthand,” McManus said, referring to being part of the sell-out crowd attending a PWHL game at Madison Square Garden in April. “You’d never tell somebody to put a cap on that if it’s happening on the men’s side.”

McManus credited the PWHL for moving quickly in a coast-to-coast expansion as a way to stake its claim and guard against the possibility of competing leagues in women's hockey. Another key, she said, was the league having a single-entity ownership model in centralizing planning decisions.

The league’s structure is headed by founders and primary financial backers Mark and Kimbra Walter, who work together with the PWHL’s advisory board in overseeing operations.

Walter committed hundreds of millions of dollars to launch the six-team league in June 2023 by reaching a deal with the then-Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association and buying out the assets of the rival Premier Hockey Federation. The PWHPA featured the world’s top players, including a majority of members of the U.S. and Canadian national teams.

With the North American stars on board, McManus said, the foundation was in place to establish a top league and draw international talent from Europe.

University of Colorado-Denver professor Sarah Fields said the coming years will determine whether the PWHL is on the right track. But she is encouraged by what she’s seen.

“Give credit to the Walters because they took a big swing. And it looks like they’re going to have great success,” said Fields, whose specialty is the history of women’s professional sports teams. “If I had the kind of money to invest that the Walters do, I’d do the same thing. I think this is a pretty good bet.”

Montreal Victoire forward and PWHL Players Association president Laura Stacey placed her faith in PWHL leadership in determining the pace of expansion.

“If they’ve done this and made it this incredible in three years, then I trust that four more (teams) is exactly what we need,” Stacey said at the league’s awards ceremonies in Detroit last week. “People are thriving and really want to be a part of this sport and this movement. I think we’re ready for it.”

With new teams in Detroit, San Jose, Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario, the PWHL has ambitious plans for Year 4 and beyond. Discussions include hosting an All-Star game, playing an outdoor game and adding games in Europe.

The league’s average attendance last season of 9,304 represented a 28% jump over 2024-25 and up 71% from its first season. Merchandise sales doubled last year. And the league’s viewership on YouTube rose by 77%, with more than a third representing new viewers.

With the Canadian Press reporting Kilmer’s stake being $100 million, the addition of partners essentially represents an early buy-in for the two investors. The Ilitch family previously expressed interest in purchasing a franchise during the PWHL's first expansion phase in adding Vancouver and Seattle a year ago.

McManus projects the PWHL to be in position to one day begin selling off its franchises to private ownership with six-figure returns. By comparison, WNBA teams 10 years ago were valued at about $25 million each, before recently making a drastic jump. The Golden State Valkyries are now estimated to be worth $1 billion.

“I hope Mark Walter gets absolutely filthy rich, even richer than he is now because of putting his money in this league,” McManus said. “I hope he sells those franchises off in like five years for $500 million each.”

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter speaks during a baseball news conference in Los Angeles on Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo, File)

FILE - NHL Network's Jamie Hersch, center, announces the PWHL women's hockey expansion team beginning in the 2026-27 season, May 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Mark Anderson

FILE - The Montreal Victoire pose for a photo with the PWHL Walter Cup after the team's win against the Ottawa Charge, in Ottawa, May 20, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP, File)