Welcome to the twelfth edition of the Jisc Digital Sustainability Newsletter. Each month, we explore the latest news, trends, articles, and insights at the intersection of technology and environmental sustainability.
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Digital sustainability news
From growing attention to electricity and water demands to new policy councils and cooling innovations, here are the top global stories. Click the headlines to read more:
UK delays mandatory digital waste tracking to 2026
Defra has postponed the rollout of the UK’s digital waste tracking system from April 2025 to April 2026, following stakeholder concerns over readiness. The delay allows for further testing to ensure the system is effective and user-friendly. Despite the revised timeline, Defra remains committed to introducing a robust tracking system to enhance digital waste regulation, support circular economy goals, and curb environmental crime.
UNECE and ISO have jointly launched a Digital Product Passport initiative to enhance sustainability and traceability across global supply chains. The DPP will digitally track product lifecycle data – including origin, materials, and environmental impact – supporting the fight against greenwashing and enabling a circular economy. The framework builds on UNECE’s past work in traceability and blockchain pilots, aiming for global interoperability. Industry-specific symposia begin in April 2025, with draft standards expected by the end of this year.
UK launches AI energy council to align datacentre growth with sustainability
The UK government has launched its first AI energy council meeting to address the growing tension between its AI superpower ambitions and energy sustainability. Co-chaired by the secretaries for energy and technology, the council will bring together regulators, utilities, and hyperscale providers to shape a low-carbon, high-performance AI economy.
Global power sector hits record CO₂ emissions despite clean energy surge
Global power-sector emissions reached an all-time high of 14.6bn tonnes in 2024, despite record growth in clean electricity. Solar and wind generation soared, but surging demand – driven by heatwaves, data centres, and EVs – pushed fossil fuel use higher. Ember says the increase signals a tipping point, not a failure, with clean power expected to soon outpace demand growth.
New tool estimates real-time energy use of chatbot conversations
Hugging Face has launched Chat UI Energy, an open-source interface that estimates the energy usage of AI chatbot prompts in real time. Designed to promote transparency, the tool compares energy use across models and tasks, converting technical data into relatable metrics like phone charge percentages or appliance usage.
EU unveils €200B AI plan to boost innovation and green data infrastructure
The European Commission has launched its AI Continent Action Plan, a €200 billion strategy to scale AI innovation across Europe through new AI Factories, massive chip-powered Gigafactories, and a Cloud and AI Development Act aimed at tripling sustainable data centre capacity. The plan also invests in AI skills, industry adoption, and regulatory support, with public consultations now open to shape its rollout.
Clean power met 81% of China’s electricity demand growth in 2024
China met 81% of its 2024 electricity demand growth with clean energy, driven by record solar and wind expansion, according to Ember. While coal generation still hit a new high, its relative contribution is shrinking, suggesting China’s power sector may be approaching peak emissions.
Tech giants under fire for building water-hungry datacentres in drought zones
Amazon, Microsoft and Google are rapidly expanding datacentres in some of the world’s driest regions, including drought-hit Spain and the US Southwest. A joint investigation reveals growing local opposition and ethical concerns over water use, with experts warning that “water positive” pledges may mask unsustainable practices as digital infrastructure and AI demand surge.
AI datacentre energy use to quadruple by 2030, warns IEA
A new IEA report forecasts that electricity demand from AI datacentres will quadruple by 2030, surpassing the energy use of heavy industries in the US. While the report argues AI could improve energy efficiency and climate planning, critics warn that without strong policy direction, its unchecked growth may reverse progress on climate targets.
Paris AI datacentre to use plant-based immersion cooling for 90% energy cut
AI Green Bytes will open a new AI datacentre in Paris this June using Qloe, a biodegradable, plant-based immersion cooling fluid developed by Oleon. The company claims the system can reduce energy use by up to 90% compared to traditional air cooling, offering a potential breakthrough in sustainable AI infrastructure.
White paper points to carbon capture as possible data centre solution
A new white paper by Carbon Direct suggests pairing carbon capture with natural gas could offer AI datacentres a faster, cost-competitive path to off-grid, low-carbon electricity. While not a dominant solution, the report says CCS-backed gas could meet urgent deployment needs – though critics warn this approach may delay decarbonisation.
Researchers explore ‘green prompting’ to cut LLM energy use
A study from Lancaster University has found that the energy used by large language models (LLMs) varies significantly depending on the semantic content of prompts – not just their length. The findings suggest that smarter prompt design could help reduce AI inference energy costs and improve model sustainability.
Digital sustainability at Jisc
Over the past few weeks, several experts from across Jisc have published new articles exploring the environmental impact of digital technology – from AI to green skills and the power of community-led action. Here are three key reads:
Artificial intelligence and the environment: The current landscape
Catherine Barker from Jisc’s AI Team updates her September 2024 piece with the latest developments around AI’s energy and water use.
Learn more about AI in education: Join the Jisc Artificial Intelligence Community
How do we prepare students for green jobs of the future?
Jisc’s Online Learning Specialist, Scott Hibberson, shares insights from across the sector on how the education sector is preparing students for sustainability-focused careers, with a particular emphasis on the role of digital sustainability.
Learn more about digital sustainability: Explore Jisc’s new e-learning module An Introduction to Digital Sustainability
From shared challenges to collective action: why community matters in digital sustainability
Jisc’s Digital Sustainability Specialist, Cal Innes, writing for FE News, makes the case that real progress on digital sustainability in education requires collaboration – not just tools. The article explores how colleges are moving from isolated efforts to shared learning, and why community spaces are key to scaling impact.
Learn more collaboration in digital sustainability: Join the Jisc FE & Skills Digital Sustainability Community
Resource corner
Each month, we share a digital sustainability report, tool, or resource that we hope you might find useful.
This month, we’re sharing an insightful new e-book ‘The developer’s guide to cloud infrastructure, efficiency and sustainability’ by technology writer Charles Humble. The book is an easily digestible yet highly informative exploration of the environmental impact of cloud infrastructure and offers practical guidance for developers. The e-book covers everything from how to match workloads to the right virtual machines for better efficiency, how to measure carbon emissions from your cloud setup, and what makes cloud computing more or less sustainable.
You can download the ebook here.
Digital sustainability articles
Here is a selection of our favourite articles on digital sustainability from the last month. Click on the title link to be redirected to the full article:
Green gems and blue jewels: the virtual green skills hub
In a reflective piece for FE News, Lou Mycroft captures the story behind the launch of the virtual green skills hub – an evolving, co-created space for green skills development born not from top-down mandates, but from the grassroots energy of the Green Changemakers network. Rather than overwhelming users with resources, the Hub offers a carefully curated and constantly refreshed digital space.
Renewables: Can Solar Energy Stop Desertification?
In Sustainability Magazine, James Darley explores new research from Xi’an University of Technology suggesting that large-scale solar farms in China’s deserts may help combat desertification while generating clean energy. The study reveals how solar panels can improve soil health and moisture retention, potentially turning barren land into thriving ecosystems.
Sustainability in software is a promising, but still unexplored, frontier
In a thoughtful article for SVG Europe, Neal Romanek explores how broadcasters and video production teams are rethinking their infrastructure and workflows to reduce environmental impact—not just through more efficient hardware, but by embracing cloud-native and software-first operations. The piece frames software sustainability as both an economic opportunity and a philosophical shift in how we design digital systems.
The data centre sustainability shift: from white space to green buildings
In Data Centre Knowledge, Gordon Johnson explores how sustainability is redefining the physical design and operational goals of data centres. Moving from traditional “white space” efficiency to full-fledged “green building” strategies, this shift is about more than compliance – it’s emerging as a business and brand imperative.
In this well-rounded article from Greenlight for Business, Luca De Giorgi and Aurora Fontana unpack the hidden environmental costs behind the seamless convenience of cloud computing and streaming. From data centres to user habits, the piece offers a grounded look at how the digital world quietly drives energy consumption and emissions – and what can be done about it.
Building sustainable circuits: eco-friendly design for consumer electronics
In ITPro Today‘s Industry Perspectives column, Michael Martin interviews embedded systems veteran Dhananjay Patil about how electrical engineers are using smarter circuit design, advanced materials, and energy-aware architectures to reduce e-waste and drive sustainability across consumer electronics. It’s a compelling look at how design decisions at the component level can shape the environmental future of the tech industry.
Schneider Electric’s CTO on tech, energy and sustainability
In an in-depth interview for Technology Magazine, Maya Derrick speaks with Scott Harden, CTO of Schneider Electric, about how the global energy giant is leveraging AI, microgrids, and digital platforms to tackle the rising energy demands of data centres and electrification. Harden’s vision centres on “Electricity 4.0,” a strategy that unites electrification and digitalisation to drive global sustainability and grid resilience
The AI-energy paradox – part 3: will AI spark a green revolution or deepen the crisis?
Damien Kopp explores the critical question of whether AI’s explosive growth will accelerate decarbonisation or overwhelm global energy systems. This final part of his three-part series outlines a range of breakthrough technologies and policy shifts that could turn AI from an energy liability into a driver of green transformation.
FinOps meets GreenOps: cloud cost control that’s climate-aligned
In a detailed piece for Accenture Technology Strategy & Advisory, Camilla Corfini outlines how aligning Cloud FinOps with GreenOps can unlock both cost and carbon savings – if done right.
The green lining of the cloud
Published in TechInformed, Sheldon Lachambre argues that cloud computing is not just a tool for digital transformation – it’s fast becoming a critical lever in corporate sustainability strategies.
Do we need GreenSec?
Published in Equilibrium Line, this piece explores whether we need a potential new discipline that bridges software sustainability and cybersecurity– “Greensec” – as green tech practices introduce new attack surfaces and risks.
The road to carbon neutrality is paved with efficient backups
In a recent TechTarget feature, Damon Garn argues that as organisations race toward net-zero goals, they must rethink one of their most overlooked emissions culprits: backup systems. From hardware lifecycle emissions to the energy costs of cooling, networking, and storage, data backups carry a heavier carbon footprint than many businesses realise.
Energy, water & data: could Google make AI sustainable?
In Sustainability Magazine, Chloe Williment takes a clear-eyed look at Google’s growing AI footprint, highlighting the tension between the company’s ambitious climate commitments and the environmental realities of generative AI. With its Gemini model now embedded across core services like Gmail and Google Docs, Google faces increasing scrutiny over the emissions and water use associated with its expanding infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence’s power hunger raises alarms for energy sector cybersecurity
In a POWER magazine commentary, Frank Cilluffo and Kyle Klein of Auburn University’s McCrary Institute warn that the rapid growth of AI – especially the energy it demands – is creating serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities across the U.S. energy sector. As AI data centres become larger and more power-hungry, they also become high-value targets for nation-state cyber adversaries.
It’s time to decarbonise digital research
In Research Professional News, Kirsty Pringle of the Software Sustainability Institute calls for urgent systemic action to cut the carbon footprint of digital research. While individual researchers are willing to act, the scale and complexity of the problem require coordinated guidance, institutional support, and meaningful incentives.
Podcast pick:
Each edition, we highlight a podcast episode that brings fresh insight into digital sustainability and climate tech.
Catalyst with Shayle Kann – the geopolitics of rare earth elements
In this episode, Shayle Kann examines how rare earth supply chains – crucial to everything from smartphones to data centres – pose a growing challenge for digital sustainability. As China enforces tighter export controls, the conversation with Ahmad Ghahreman, CEO of rare earth recycling startup Cyclic Materials, explores the risks of mineral dependency in powering the digital economy. They discuss why alternatives haven’t taken hold, and how circular strategies like recycling and resource-efficient tech design could help decarbonise and secure the tech industry.
Get Involved:
We want to hear from you! Share your comments, suggestions, and digital sustainability highlights. Contact our Subject Specialist for Digital Sustainability, Cal Innes, at cal.innes@jisc.ac.uk.
And don’t forget to subscribe to our DIGITAL-SUSTAINABILITY JiscMail mailing list for future editions of the Digital Sustainability Newsletter.
