The accelerating growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital services is reshaping the global energy landscape — and with it, the environmental footprint of data centres. These facilities already consume about 2 per cent of global electricity, with cooling systems accounting for 20–50 per cent of that demand. As AI workloads expand, unmanaged growth could double global data-centre energy use by 2030. 

Recognizing this challenge, UNEP’s United for Efficiency (U4E) initiative organized a side event titled “Cooling the AI Revolution: Efficiency and Kigali Amendment Pathways for Data Centres” on 4th November 2025, alongside the 37th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP37) in Nairobi, Kenya. The session brought together policymakers, technical experts, and industry leaders to explore how the Kigali Amendment can guide the digital sector toward energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling solutions. 

Aligning Digital Growth with Climate Commitments

Opening the event, Golestan (Sally) Radwan, UNEP’s Chief Digital Officer, outlined how UNEP is tackling AI’s environmental footprint across its full lifecycle, from mineral extraction to e-waste. She highlighted ongoing initiatives such as the Coalition for Sustainable AI, Environment GPT and the Global Environmental Data Strategy, which aim to ensure that technological progress supports — rather than undermines — global sustainability goals. 

She emphasized that integrating low-GWP refrigerants, smart adaptive cooling, renewable energy and waste-heat recovery can together reduce total electricity consumption in data centres by up to 40 per cent. 

U4E Insights: Guiding a Sustainable Digital Transition

Patrick Blake, Programme Manager at U4E, moderated the session and presented the initiative’s new Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for Data Centres and Servers, released earlier in 2025. The publication was developed to help organizations define robust criteria and processes for selecting and operating more energy-efficient data centres and IT equipment, whether for new buildings or upgrades of existing facilities. 

The document sets out a series of key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used in policies, tenders, and technical specifications. These metrics provide a practical toolbox for governments and large purchasers to raise minimum performance expectations, support labelling and reporting schemes, and steer investments toward more efficient, lower-carbon facilities. 

Technological Innovation: Efficiency through Liquid Cooling

Dr. Omar Abdelaziz, from the American University in Cairo, presented emerging liquid and immersion cooling technologies that can drastically cut energy use in data centres. From direct-to-chip systems to full immersion designs, these solutions achieve record-low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratio — in some cases close to 1.0 — while enabling higher computing density. It was noted that new dielectric fluids have very low global warming potential (GWPs below 10), but proper refrigerant recovery and end-of-life management remain essential to maximize climate benefits. 

Country Perspectives: Policies in Action

Speakers from China, Egypt, and Brazil shared how national policies are guiding sustainable data-centre growth. In China, GB 40879-2021 enforces PUE classification standards and promotes the use of liquid cooling, while GB/T 44989-2024 recommends that at least 20 per cent of data-centre power come from renewable sources. 

Meanwhile, in Egypt, the focus is on developing stronger monitoring systems and policy tools under the Montreal Protocol to better track energy and refrigerant performance. Brazil anticipates rapid expansion in the sector and is therefore exploring efficiency regulations tailored to regional climate and water availability to ensure responsible development. 

Global Policy Signals

Around the globe, policymakers are recognising that the future of digitalisation must also be the future of sustainability. In the discussion, additional global policy and industry-led efforts were highlighted, while emerging economies are beginning to chart their own pathways.  

In the United States, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act Technology Transition Rule, entered into effect in January 2025, limits the global warming potential (GWP) of refrigerants used in data-centre cooling systems to below 700. Complementing this regulatory measure, ASHRAE Standard 90.4 provides voluntary, industry-led design guidance to improve the energy efficiency and reliability of data centre facilities. Developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the standard establishes performance-based targets for mechanical and electrical systems using metrics. While not mandatory, it serves as a widely adopted benchmark for designers, operators, and jurisdictions to inform energy codes and green-building certifications. 

In the EU, policymakers are also formalising energy-performance requirements for data centres through the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). From 2024, operators of facilities with an IT load above 500 kW must report annual data on energy consumption, Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), temperature, waste-heat reuse, and the share of renewable energy to national authorities. The European Commission is developing an EU-wide energy-labelling and sustainability rating system for data centres, modelled on those used for buildings and appliances. 

As data-centre investment accelerates, collaboration through the Kigali Amendment offers a chance to turn a potential source of emissions into a powerful driver of innovation and climate progress, ensuring that the AI revolution is cooled, clean, and truly sustainable. 

Emerging Trends

As global data demand soars, a wave of new data centre construction presents a once-in-a-generation greenfield opportunity, especially for developing countries, where digital infrastructure is expanding fastest but policy frameworks often lag behind. The design and regulatory choices made now on siting, cooling systems, and energy sources will lock in emissions trajectories for decades to come. Without clear standards or efficiency requirements, many nations risk building energy- and carbon-intensive facilities that could strain grids and water systems. Governments and companies are increasingly urged to adopt forward-looking policies that embed efficiency, renewable power, and low-GWP refrigerants from the outset, ensuring that digital expansion supports both connectivity and climate goals. 

At the same time, experts are calling for greater transparency in industry data. Metrics like Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), refrigerant types, and leakage rates remain inconsistently reported, making it difficult to compare performance or track progress. Standardising and publishing this information could accelerate benchmarking, guide investment, and hold operators accountable for their environmental footprints. 

Meanwhile, the AI boom is reshaping the sector’s energy profile. Without coordinated action, gains in hardware and cooling efficiency risk being erased by the exponential growth of AI workloads. Policymakers and AI developers must work together to manage demand—designing smarter models, optimising compute loads, and aligning digital infrastructure planning with sustainability limits. 

Download the presentations shared during the event here.