Several of the largest companies in the world have come together to tackle the challenge of growing emissions related to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres globally.
This is the key area of the Smart Energy Coalition, a group of businesses collated by non-profit organisation Climate Group.
The coalition, which has more than 100 members including ABB, Johnson Controls, Mitie, AstraZeneca, Schneider Electric, Omron and Danfoss, will focus its work on smarter cooling and heating systems. It will build on the idea energy efficiency is a strategic way to strengthen energy security.
The Smart Energy Coalition, previously called EP100, is made up of businesses across 200 markets and 15 industries – all committed to implementing energy efficiency measures. Together, the coalition’s members have saved $164 million in 2024, and achieved more than 8% annual energy productivity improvements, surpassing the global average of just 1%., according to a statement from the group released last week.
Essentially, the work of the coalition has showed energy efficiency can cut costs, create new jobs, and scale innovation.
Energy efficiency should be “top of the list” of priorities for business leaders, says Siemens, one member of the Smart Energy Coalition.
Sam Kimmins, director of energy at Climate Group, commented: “Smart companies know energy efficiency is good business – it cuts costs, boosts competitiveness and strengthens energy security.
“As demand surges from AI, data centres, and cooling, efficiency is one of the fastest, most cost-effective solutions for businesses to adopt. Through the Smart Energy Coalition, world-leading corporates are driving innovation and shaping policy to accelerate progress.”
Stacy Mahler, US head of sustainability at Siemens, added: “In a world of competing priorities, we consider energy efficiency to be at the top of the list.
“The technology to implement it exists today and brings immediate benefits from a cost as well as an operational perspective.”
Electricity demand from data centres worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 – more than the entire electricity consumption of Japan, according to research by the International Energy Agency.
It added that doubling energy efficiency by 2030 could reduce global emissions by 6.5 billion tonnes and cut global energy costs by nearly 10%.
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