Story
Datacentres drive up big tech's carbon emissions to a third of those of France
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Overview
Microsoft, Amazon, and Google emitted 119 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the financial year ending March 2026, a nearly 20% increase from the previous year's 101 million metric tonnes. Their combined emissions now represent about a third of France's total carbon emissions.
Summary from theguardian.com.
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Hacker News · theguardian.com
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Based on 5 sampled comments from this thread. Analyzed 2026-07-12.
- Praise: The potential for AI to drive a transition to green energy is seen as a silver lining by some commenters, suggesting a brighter future despite current emissions.
- Praise: There's a belief that datacenters could contribute to innovative solutions for carbon neutrality, indicating optimism about technological advancements.
- Concern: The rapid rise of datacenters consuming 23% of Ireland's electricity is alarming, highlighting the unsustainable growth in energy demand.
- Concern: Skepticism surrounds the feasibility of claims about carbon neutrality, with some commenters labeling these goals as unrealistic or merely idealistic.
- Concern: Concerns about the actual emissions from datacenters are raised, especially with the growing number of on-site gas turbines contributing to their carbon footprint.