Hong Kong data centres have among world’s worst energy carbon footprints – UN study

A recent United Nations study identifies Hong Kong as having one of the world's most carbon-intensive data center sectors, largely due to the city's heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electricity. While the region performs poorly regarding carbon emissions, it maintains a relatively small land and water footprint compared to global counterparts that utilize more renewable energy sources. The report highlights that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is driving a massive surge in global energy demand, with daily AI operations accounting for the vast majority of consumption. By 2030, the total power required by these facilities is projected to nearly triple the combined annual electricity usage of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Despite these environmental concerns, Hong Kong continues to position itself as a major digital hub, actively expanding its data center infrastructure to support growing telecommunications and logistics needs.

The findings underscore the significant environmental trade-offs cities face as they attempt to balance the infrastructure demands of the AI boom with global decarbonization goals.