On February 11, 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 spearheaded by France, UNEP, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This coalition reunites 91 partners, including 37 tech companies, 11 countries, and five international organisations, all committed to promoting environmentally sustainable AI practices.   

Patrick Blake, Programme Manager at U4E, who attended the event, expressed enthusiasm about the growing momentum: “As AI adoption accelerates, so does its energy and resource demand from data centres—making energy efficiency and sustainability a priority.”   

The AI Action Summit in Paris brought together participants from several fields, including Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organisations, CEOs, academics, artists, and members of civil society. The discussions focused on aligning digital growth with climate goals, ensuring that AI technologies evolve in an inclusive, transparent, and environmentally conscious way.

Data Centres Guidelines

As AI adoption accelerates, so does its energy demand, particularly within data centres. These facilities are highly energy-intensive, with IT equipment consuming 40–70% of total energy and cooling systems using 20–50%. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated global data centre electricity use at 460 TWh in 2022 (~2% of total consumption), with demand possibly doubling by 2026. 

In response to this growing challenge, U4E designed its upcoming guidelines to help organisations establish substantial criteria and processes that enhance the energy efficiency of current and future data centres. These guidelines will provide a clear template for reducing energy consumption, operating costs, and environmental impact—while supporting digital transformation. Key criteria will cover indicators such as power usage effectiveness (PUE), water usage effectiveness (WUE), IT equipment energy efficiency, and cooling effectiveness ratio (CER).  

U4E’s Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for Data Centres and Computer Servers are set to be a crucial resource for organisations seeking to improve their energy efficiency and sustainability in the age of AI. The publication will be available for download soon. In the meantime, a concept note and presentation about the guidelines are available for review.