UN chief urges tech sector to power data centres with renewables
WASHINGTON (REUTERS)UN Secretary General António Guterres on Tuesday called on tech companies to power the build out of data centres with 100% renewable energy by 2030, even as the industry turns to gas and coal-fired power plants to meet surging demand.The secretary general made his case for why he believes energy-hungry data centres should lock in a future of clean energy, saying the transition to renewable energy is inevitable, even as some countries and companies still embrace fossil fuels.'The future is being built in the cloud,' Guterres said in a speech at the United Nations' headquarters in New York. "It must be powered by the sun, the wind, and the promise of a better world."His appeal to technology companies comes a day before US President Donald Trump unveils his administration's AI Action Plan, which is expected to contain a number of executive actions aimed at easing restrictions on land use and energy production to unleash artificial intelligence development.Trump has declared a national energy emergency to address the vast amounts of energy needed by data centres to power AI and enable him to ease environmental restrictions to build more power plants fueled by gas, coal and nuclear.Top economic rivals, the US and China, are locked in a technological arms race over who can dominate AI.At the same time, Trump has issued executive orders and signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that curtails the use of incentives for wind and solar energy, which dominate the queue of new power generation waiting to connect to the electric grid.Guterres also appealed to governments to ready new national climate plans to deliver the goals of the Paris climate agreement by September that will lock-in a transition away from fossil fuels.
He said this moment is an opportunity for governments to meet all new electricity demand with renewables and use water sustainably in cooling systems.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
19 minutes ago
- The National
US economy rebounds in second quarter despite tariff volatility
The US economy rebounded at a better-than-expected pace in the second quarter, strengthened by consumer spending and a decrease in imports. Gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of total goods and services produced, rose 3 per cent, when adjusted for seasonality and inflation, during the April-June period, the Commerce Department said in its advance second-quarter estimate on Wednesday. A Reuters survey of economists had forecast GDP to increase at a 2.4 per cent annualised rate. Last quarter's growth followed a 0.5 per cent contraction in the January-March period as business rushed to stockpile imports ahead of President Donald Trump's tariffs. The Commerce Department attributed the second-quarter rebound to a decrease in imports and an increase in consumer spending. Those were partly offset by decreases in investment and exports. Mr Trump's initial April 2 announcement – a blanket 10 per cent tariff on nearly all trading partners and harsher 'reciprocal' tariffs – shook financial markets before he reversed course a week later. Most investors were largely fearful that the sweeping tariff announcement would spark an economic slowdown, and his stop-start approach towards the charges' implementation brought more uncertainty. Markets have since come back in force as he delayed tariffs' implementation date and agreed to a temporary trade truce with China following escalatory tit-for-tat charges. The S&P 500 recorded a six-day streak of record-highs before closing lower on Tuesday following stalled trade talks between the US and China in Sweden. Wednesday's report is the latest in a series of macroeconomic data this week that was expected clarify the state of the US economy as it contends with high interest rates and the effects of tariffs. The latest report also comes hours before the Federal Reserve was expected to announce it was holding interest rates steady yet again, with the UAE Central Bank mirroring its decision. The Fed has kept its target rate unchanged at 4.25 per cent and 4.50 per cent this year. The Fed cut US interest rates in 2024, with the most recent in December, but has held pat this year owing to uncertainty surrounding tariffs. Meanwhile, data released earlier this week pointed to signs of a labour market that is continuing to cool. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics on Tuesday reported that job openings and hirings declined last month. The hiring rate also fell to 3.3 per cent while the quits rate remained unchanged at 2 per cent. 'Persistently low churn also leaves the labour market looking more fragile than headline numbers suggest,' Wells Fargo economists Sarah House and Nicole Cervi wrote to clients on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, the Conference Board reported that US consumers' outlook on the current level of job availability weakened for a seventh month in a row, reaching its lowest level since March 2021. Separate data this week was expected to provide further clues on the economy, including the Fed's preferred inflation metric on Thursday and June's unemployment report on Friday.
Zawya
19 minutes ago
- Zawya
Saudi foodtech startup secures $39mln funding round for global expansion plans
Riyadh - Calo, the Middle East's largest foodtech startup, has raised $39 million (SAR 146.27 million) in a series B extension round, bringing the total funding to $64 million (SAR 240 million). Led by AlJazira Capital, Oraseya Capital, Nuwa Capital, STV, Khwarizmi Ventures, and Al Faisaliah Group, the transaction follows an initial $25 million tranche secured in December 2024, according to a press release. The oversubscribed round supports Calo's global expansion plans, integration of recent UK acquisitions, and continued investment in AI-powered personalized nutrition. The CEO and Co-Founder of Calo, Ahmed Al Rawi, commented: 'We're living in an interesting time where AI is transforming our lives, and we're excited to be investing in cutting-edge innovation to explore how Calo can use AI to influence the future of how we discover and eat healthy food.' He added: 'Being vertically integrated with the mission of 'Making Healthy Easy' gives us an edge to develop and scale world-class experiences not just regionally, but also globally.' Calo recently acquired UK-based meal subscription brands Fresh Fitness Food and Detox Kitchen, integrating them into its operations and marking the company's entry into the European market. The company, which now operates more than 10 physical locations across the GCC, grew over 50% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half (H1) of 2025. Calo is piloting Calo Black, an AI-powered private chef experience that uses large language models (LLMs) to understand individual customer preferences through natural conversation and craft personalized daily menus. It is worth noting that Calo partnered with premium gym operator Armah Sports Company to expand wellness and retail offerings through co-located outlets, cross-promotions, and product distribution across gym networks. Riyadh-headquartered Calo operates in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, with expansion now underway in the UK.
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
US economy rebounds in second quarter; but underlying trend is soft
WASHINGTON - U.S. economic growth rebounded more than expected in the second quarter, but that grossly overstated the economy's health as subsiding imports accounted for the bulk of the improvement and domestic demand increased moderately. Gross domestic product increased at a 3.0% annualized rate last quarter, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its advance estimate of second-quarter GDP on Wednesday. The economy contracted at a 0.5% pace in the January-March quarter, the first GDP decline in three years. The main GDP figure was heavily distorted by trade as was the case in the first quarter. Economists say President Donald Trump's protectionist trade policy, including sweeping tariffs on imports as well as delaying higher duties, has made it difficult to get a clear pulse on the economy. Economists urged focusing on final sales to private domestic purchasers, viewed by economists and policymakers alike as a barometer of underlying U.S. economic growth. This measure grew at a 1.2% rate after advancing at a 1.9% rate in the first quarter. That was the slowest increase in domestic demand since the fourth quarter of 2022. A rush to beat the duties boosted imports in the first quarter, resulting in a record goods trade deficit that weighed on the economy. That trend reversed last quarter. Imports are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP. A Reuters survey of economists had forecast GDP rebounding at a 2.4% annualized rate. The survey was, however, concluded before data on Tuesday showed the goods trade deficit shrinking to its smallest in nearly two years in June and inventories rising marginally. That prompted economists to upgrade their GDP growth estimates by as much as 0.8 percentage point to as high as a 3.3% pace. Trade and inventories are the most volatile components of GDP. Economists anticipated lackluster economic growth in the second half. Though the White House has announced a number of trade deals, economists said the nation's effective tariff rate remained one of the highest since the 1930s and noted that about 60% of the nation's imports remained uncovered by an agreement. Economists expect the Federal Reserve will keep its benchmark interest rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range after the end of a two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, resisting pressure from Trump to lower borrowing costs. The Fed cut rates three times in 2024, with the last move coming in December. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Chizu Nomiyama)
