Best of LinkedIn: Sustainability & Green ICT CW 06/ 07

AI and data center narratives shift from generic efficiency claims toward explicit energy, water, and grid impacts across regions

Examples span Phoenix, wooden data centers, Barcelona expansion, space-based AI infrastructure, and Saudi ambitions for sustainable facilities

Planned gas and on-site power plants for AI clusters risk increasing emissions even as operators contract carbon free and nuclear energy

Contributors call for responsible architectures, flexible compute aligned with renewables, and lifecycle impact tracking for AI workloads

Green software moves from principles to practice with concrete tools for website energy reporting, code efficiency workflows, and privacy focused AI assistants

Open-source projects such as Carmen and Kepler address cloud emissions and power metering gaps, feeding into emerging FinOps and GreenOps disciplines

Leadership stories highlight internal champions and playbooks that position environmental responsibility as a core element of future technology leadership

Market validation grows as consulting firms are recognised for IT sustainability services, confirming client demand for integrated green software and AI offerings

Policy debates expose underreported IT emissions, weaknesses in GHG accounting, and the strategic link between digital and energy sovereignty

New laws and resolutions, including French anti obsolescence rules and UNEA7 sustainable AI agreements, raise expectations on durability and environmental performance

European voices warn that energy transition constraints and competition authority guidance on frugal, standardized AI could reshape industrial cost structures

Posts urge platforms and SMEs to treat climate transparency and circular practices as core governance topics rather than peripheral communications issues

Sustainability discussions broaden beyond carbon to include water usage, e waste, and device longevity across AI, data centers, and consumer technology

Examples such as IT upcycling factories in Johannesburg show circularity entering infrastructure and device value chains, not only small accessories

Innovative data center designs, including wooden structures and low water-cooling concepts, illustrate experimentation with materials and resource footprints

Regulation against planned obsolescence reinforces the shift toward longer lived hardware and more repairable ICT products

Regional initiatives like Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor and MENA transition agendas frame green ICT as a driver of jobs, innovation, and diversification

New climate technology hubs and ecosystem maps, including centres focused on the Global South and Canadian clean compute, structure green AI collaboration spaces

Sector examples in mobility, healthcare, real estate, and public procurement show software, infrastructure, and sourcing decisions directly shaping emissions and cost

Community activity through summits, webinars, curated content, and podcasts keeps attention on impact first AI, climate finance, and practical resistance to environmentally harmful deployments