Datacenter Energy and Carbon Emission Projections and the Drive to Net Zero, 2025

This IDC Market Perspective details how the rapid expansion of datacenters, driven by digitalization and AI workloads, is leading to significant energy consumption and carbon emissions increases. Datacenter operators are prioritizing sustainability to manage costs and meet net-zero goals, investing in renewable energy sources and advanced energy storage systems. Despite these efforts, the demand for electricity is expected to outpace clean energy investments, resulting in a rise in carbon emissions. Strategic energy mix and location strategies, along with AI-driven efficiency, are essential for achieving sustainability.“The demand for AI workloads and digital infrastructure is expected to outpace energy transformation of datacenters,” said Sean Graham, research director, Datacenters at IDC, “which is why carbon emissions resulting from datacenter operators will be growing by 2028.”