UNEP's United for Efficiency (U4E) hosted its annual Partners' Meeting on 3–4 December in Paris. The event brought together around 35 representatives from governments, industry, regional centres of excellence, financial institutions, and international organizations to shape the next phase of cooperation on energy-efficient products and systems. The meeting opened with remarks from Ruth do Coutto, Deputy Director of UNEP’s Climate Change Division, and Hongpeng Lei, Chief of the Climate ...Read More
Sustainable Cooling for the Digital Age: Insights from MOP37
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 ...Read More
August 2025 Issue of the U4E Newsletter Now Available
Stay up to date with the latest developments from U4E. Our quarterly newsletter spotlights global progress in advancing energy efficiency through U4E’s initiatives, tools, and partnerships. The August 2025 issue features: New Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for Data Centres and Servers, and highlights from the global launch webinar ASEAN governments reaffirm cooling commitments at the 2nd ASEAN Regional Workshop in Manila East Africa approves harmonised MEPS for air ...Read More
Driving Sustainability in Digital Infrastructure: U4E Hosts Launch Webinar for Data Centre Guidelines
On 8 July 2025, UNEP's United for Efficiency (U4E) hosted a webinar to present its newly launched Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for Data Centres and Servers. The event brought together over 60 participants from national governments, development agencies, and technical experts to explore how energy-efficient practices can support the sustainable digital transformation of economies worldwide. The webinar was part of U4E's efforts to promote the adoption of practical, evidence-based ...Read More
U4E Releases Comprehensive Guidelines for Energy-Efficient Data Centres and Servers
Data centres play a critical role in today's digital world, enabling a wide range of end-user services and functions such as websites, email, social media, streaming, business operations, and many other applications essential to modern life. However, they are among the most energy-intensive facilities, with a significant carbon footprint. The International Energy Agency estimates that data centres will drive more than 20 per cent of the growth in electricity demand between now and 2030. ...Read More
U4E Introduces Energy-Efficient Data Centre Guidelines at AI Action Summit
On 11 February, United for Efficiency (U4E) attended the Forum for Stainable AI alongside the AI Action Summit in Paris, where the team introduced its forthcoming publication, Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for Data Centres and Computer Servers. This initiative highlights the urgent need for energy efficiency and sustainability in the rapidly expanding field of artificial intelligence (AI). The summit marked the launch of the Coalition for Sustainable AI, a collaborative effort ...Read More
