GITNUXREPORT 2026

Sustainability In The Tmt Industry Statistics

Rising tech energy use demands urgent sustainability efforts across the industry.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

E-waste from TMT devices reached 62 million metric tons in 2022, or 7.8% of all e-waste globally

Statistic 2

Only 22.3% of e-waste was formally recycled in 2022, leaving 48 million tons mismanaged in TMT sector

Statistic 3

Smartphones discarded annually number 1.5 billion units, containing $62 billion in recoverable metals

Statistic 4

Data center hardware refresh cycles generate 5 million tons e-waste yearly

Statistic 5

Telecom network equipment e-waste grew 10% YoY to 2 million tons in 2023

Statistic 6

PCs and laptops contributed 11 kg per capita e-waste in Europe in 2022

Statistic 7

Servers decommissioned from hyperscalers add 1 million tons e-waste annually

Statistic 8

TV and monitors e-waste hit 13 million tons globally in 2022, mostly landfilled

Statistic 9

Recycling rate for TMT precious metals is under 20%, losing $15 billion yearly

Statistic 10

Mobile phone e-waste contains 80 tons of gold wasted annually

Statistic 11

Network routers and switches generate 500,000 tons e-waste from upgrades to 5G

Statistic 12

IoT sensors discarded reach 500 million units yearly, 90% unrecycled

Statistic 13

VR headsets e-waste projected at 100,000 tons by 2025 from consumer adoption

Statistic 14

Satellite deorbiting adds 10,000 tons space e-waste yearly from defunct TMT sats

Statistic 15

Chip packaging waste from fabs totals 200,000 tons silicon yearly

Statistic 16

Streaming device e-waste like Roku boxes: 50 million units discarded 2022

Statistic 17

Gaming consoles generation 4 e-waste: 20 million units post-cycle

Statistic 18

Smart home hubs e-waste 10 million tons cumulatively by 2030 projection

Statistic 19

Cable modems and set-top boxes: 100 million replaced yearly, 80% landfilled

Statistic 20

Wearables like smartwatches generate 50 million tons e-waste by 2025

Statistic 21

In 2022, data centers accounted for approximately 1-1.3% of global final electricity demand, consuming between 240-340 TWh annually

Statistic 22

The ICT sector's electricity use grew by 6% per year from 2015-2020, reaching over 10% of global electricity in some estimates adjusted for scope

Statistic 23

Mobile networks consumed 0.5% of global electricity in 2020, with 5G base stations using up to 3 times more power per site than 4G

Statistic 24

Global data transmission networks consumed about 260 TWh in 2022, equivalent to the electricity use of Spain

Statistic 25

By 2030, data centers are projected to consume up to 1,000 TWh, doubling current levels if efficiency gains lag

Statistic 26

Streaming services like Netflix contributed to 1.8% of global household electricity use in 2021 via video traffic

Statistic 27

Cryptocurrency mining in the ICT ecosystem used 121 TWh in 2021, comparable to Argentina's annual electricity

Statistic 28

Edge computing deployments increased energy use by 20% in telecom networks from 2020-2023

Statistic 29

AI training models in TMT firms consumed energy equivalent to 626,000 US households for a single GPT-3 run, scaled annually to millions

Statistic 30

Telecom towers globally number over 5 million, each averaging 5-10 kW power draw, totaling 200 TWh yearly

Statistic 31

Hyperscale data centers grew 25% in power capacity from 2021-2023, reaching 40 GW globally

Statistic 32

Video conferencing during COVID peaked at 40% higher energy use than in-person meetings per hour equivalent

Statistic 33

5G Standalone networks could increase mobile energy consumption by 2-3 times without efficiency measures

Statistic 34

Global semiconductor fabrication plants used 100 TWh in 2022 for chip production vital to TMT

Statistic 35

Cloud computing services expanded to represent 20% of data center energy in 2023

Statistic 36

Network slicing in 5G adds 15% overhead energy in initial deployments

Statistic 37

User devices like smartphones consumed 4% of global electricity indirectly via charging in 2022

Statistic 38

AR/VR applications in media projected to add 50 TWh by 2030 from rendering demands

Statistic 39

Satellite internet constellations like Starlink require 100 MW per 1,000 satellites in orbit

Statistic 40

Gaming servers for cloud gaming used 10 TWh in 2022, growing 30% YoY

Statistic 41

IoT devices in TMT networks number 15 billion, drawing 50 TWh collectively in 2023

Statistic 42

Broadband fixed networks consumed 150 TWh in 2022 across OECD countries

Statistic 43

Media production for 4K/8K content triples energy per hour compared to HD

Statistic 44

Telecom backhaul fiber amplifiers add 20% to network energy footprint

Statistic 45

Data center cooling systems account for 40% of total energy use, averaging 100 TWh globally

Statistic 46

6G research prototypes consume 5x more power per bit than 5G

Statistic 47

Social media data processing centers used 50 TWh in 2022 for user feeds

Statistic 48

Quantum computing pilots in TMT labs draw 25 kW per qubit system, scaling rapidly

Statistic 49

Ad tech servers process 10 trillion queries daily, consuming 30 TWh yearly

Statistic 50

Voice assistants like Alexa handle 100 billion requests yearly, adding 5 TWh

Statistic 51

The ICT sector emitted 530 MtCO2eq in 2020, representing 1.4% of global GHG emissions from end-use of electricity and fuel

Statistic 52

Data centers alone contributed 200 MtCO2eq in 2022, or 0.5% of global emissions

Statistic 53

Telecom industry Scope 1 and 2 emissions totaled 132 MtCO2eq in 2021 across GSMA members

Statistic 54

Video streaming services generated 300 MtCO2eq annually in 2021 from global traffic

Statistic 55

5G networks could add 10-20 MtCO2eq by 2030 without mitigation, per network rollout

Statistic 56

Bitcoin mining emitted 70 MtCO2eq in 2022, heavily tied to TMT infrastructure

Statistic 57

Supply chain emissions (Scope 3) account for 80-90% of TMT firms' total GHG, over 1 GtCO2eq for tech giants

Statistic 58

AI operations in TMT projected to emit 300 MtCO2eq by 2030 from training and inference

Statistic 59

Mobile networks' emissions grew 7% YoY to 150 MtCO2eq in 2022

Statistic 60

Data transmission networks emitted 160 MtCO2eq in 2022 based on grid intensity

Statistic 61

Semiconductor manufacturing emitted 50 MtCO2eq in 2022 from energy-intensive processes

Statistic 62

Cloud providers like AWS reported 70 MtCO2eq Scope 1+2 in 2022

Statistic 63

Social media platforms' data centers emitted 100 MtCO2eq from user engagement in 2023

Statistic 64

Streaming video on Netflix alone caused 100,000 tons CO2eq daily in 2021

Statistic 65

IoT deployments emitted 20 MtCO2eq in 2022 from device lifecycle

Statistic 66

Edge data centers added 15 MtCO2eq emissions growth in 2023

Statistic 67

VR/AR content delivery emitted 5 MtCO2eq in 2022 from high-bandwidth streams

Statistic 68

Satellite broadband emissions per user are 10x higher than terrestrial fiber, totaling 2 MtCO2eq for constellations

Statistic 69

Ad delivery networks emitted 50 MtCO2eq from real-time bidding in 2022

Statistic 70

Gaming cloud services emitted 8 MtCO2eq in 2023 from server farms

Statistic 71

Quantum networks pilots emit negligible but scaling to 1 MtCO2eq by 2030

Statistic 72

6G concepts project 50 MtCO2eq additional if not green designed

Statistic 73

Telecom Scope 3 from devices reached 500 MtCO2eq in 2021

Statistic 74

Media production emissions for digital content hit 200 MtCO2eq yearly

Statistic 75

33% of TMT operators sourced 20%+ renewable energy in 2022, up from 15% prior

Statistic 76

Google achieved 64% renewable energy match for data centers in 2022, targeting 24/7 by 2030

Statistic 77

Microsoft hit 100% renewable energy for consumption in 2023 via PPAs

Statistic 78

AWS procured 100% renewables covering 2022 usage, with 15 GW pipeline

Statistic 79

Telecom giants like Vodafone 50% renewable by 2025 commitment, 30% in 2023

Statistic 80

Ericsson networks enable 90% energy savings with Massive MIMO renewables integration

Statistic 81

Meta data centers 100% renewable since 2020, adding solar farms

Statistic 82

Nokia 80% renewable electricity in operations 2023

Statistic 83

5G base stations powered 40% by solar in off-grid deployments India 2023

Statistic 84

Hyperscalers signed 50 GW renewable deals 2022-2023 for TMT growth

Statistic 85

Apple 100% renewable for corporate ops since 2018, supply chain 58% 2022

Statistic 86

Verizon 50% renewable energy 2023, targeting 50% by 2025

Statistic 87

Samsung renewables cover 90% facilities, devices recyclable design

Statistic 88

Huawei 50% green energy in networks 2023

Statistic 89

Wind power for data centers reached 10 GW contracted 2023

Statistic 90

Solar PV for telecom towers: 1 million sites globally by 2025 projection

Statistic 91

Battery storage paired with renewables cut diesel 70% in remote TMT sites

Statistic 92

Green hydrogen pilots for data center backup 10 MW scale 2023

Statistic 93

TMT firms procured 20 GW solar/wind PPAs 2023 alone

Statistic 94

Netflix 100% renewable energy goal met 2022 via RECs and direct

Statistic 95

60% of TMT emissions reducible by 2030 via renewables shift

Statistic 96

Oracle 100% renewable by 2025, 90% in 2023 data centers

Statistic 97

IBM 75% renewable energy 2023, quantum labs green powered

Statistic 98

Data centers used 1.7 billion cubic meters of water for cooling in 2021, equivalent to 570,000 Olympic pools

Statistic 99

Google data centers consumed 5 billion gallons of water in 2022, up 20% from prior year

Statistic 100

Microsoft Azure facilities used 1.7 billion liters in 2022 amid heatwaves

Statistic 101

Hyperscale data centers withdraw 450 billion liters water annually globally

Statistic 102

Telecom cooling towers in urban areas use 10 million m3 water yearly per major city

Statistic 103

AI hyperscalers like training GPT-4 used water equivalent to 1 million households daily cooling

Statistic 104

Semiconductor fabs require 10 billion m3 ultrapure water yearly worldwide

Statistic 105

Edge nodes in 5G use air cooling reducing water by 90%, but legacy sites still 5 m3/MWh

Statistic 106

Video rendering farms consume 2 liters per kWh cooling in hot climates, totaling 1 billion liters

Statistic 107

Crypto mining rigs evaporatively cool with 100 liters/MWh, 10 billion liters yearly

Statistic 108

Streaming servers in Ireland used 15% of local water in drought 2022

Statistic 109

IoT manufacturing plants use 5 m3 water per 1,000 devices produced

Statistic 110

Satellite ground stations minimal but total 1 million m3 for thermal control

Statistic 111

AR glasses production fabs 2 billion liters ultrapure water 2023

Statistic 112

Cloud gaming data centers 500 million gallons cooling water 2023

Statistic 113

Broadband CPE manufacturing 1 liter per unit, 500 million units 5e8 liters

Statistic 114

Media encoding clusters use 0.5 m3/MWh evaporative, 100 million m3 yearly

1/114

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While the digital world feels weightless, the staggering truth is that the global network supporting our streams, searches, and social feeds consumed roughly the same amount of electricity as the entire country of Spain in 2022, spotlighting the urgent and massive challenge of sustainability within the technology, media, and telecom industry.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, data centers accounted for approximately 1-1.3% of global final electricity demand, consuming between 240-340 TWh annually
The ICT sector's electricity use grew by 6% per year from 2015-2020, reaching over 10% of global electricity in some estimates adjusted for scope
Mobile networks consumed 0.5% of global electricity in 2020, with 5G base stations using up to 3 times more power per site than 4G
The ICT sector emitted 530 MtCO2eq in 2020, representing 1.4% of global GHG emissions from end-use of electricity and fuel
Data centers alone contributed 200 MtCO2eq in 2022, or 0.5% of global emissions
Telecom industry Scope 1 and 2 emissions totaled 132 MtCO2eq in 2021 across GSMA members
E-waste from TMT devices reached 62 million metric tons in 2022, or 7.8% of all e-waste globally
Only 22.3% of e-waste was formally recycled in 2022, leaving 48 million tons mismanaged in TMT sector
Smartphones discarded annually number 1.5 billion units, containing $62 billion in recoverable metals
Data centers used 1.7 billion cubic meters of water for cooling in 2021, equivalent to 570,000 Olympic pools
Google data centers consumed 5 billion gallons of water in 2022, up 20% from prior year
Microsoft Azure facilities used 1.7 billion liters in 2022 amid heatwaves
33% of TMT operators sourced 20%+ renewable energy in 2022, up from 15% prior
Google achieved 64% renewable energy match for data centers in 2022, targeting 24/7 by 2030
Microsoft hit 100% renewable energy for consumption in 2023 via PPAs

Rising tech energy use demands urgent sustainability efforts across the industry.

E-Waste Management

E-waste from TMT devices reached 62 million metric tons in 2022, or 7.8% of all e-waste globally
Only 22.3% of e-waste was formally recycled in 2022, leaving 48 million tons mismanaged in TMT sector
Smartphones discarded annually number 1.5 billion units, containing $62 billion in recoverable metals
Data center hardware refresh cycles generate 5 million tons e-waste yearly
Telecom network equipment e-waste grew 10% YoY to 2 million tons in 2023
PCs and laptops contributed 11 kg per capita e-waste in Europe in 2022
Servers decommissioned from hyperscalers add 1 million tons e-waste annually
TV and monitors e-waste hit 13 million tons globally in 2022, mostly landfilled
Recycling rate for TMT precious metals is under 20%, losing $15 billion yearly
Mobile phone e-waste contains 80 tons of gold wasted annually
Network routers and switches generate 500,000 tons e-waste from upgrades to 5G
IoT sensors discarded reach 500 million units yearly, 90% unrecycled
VR headsets e-waste projected at 100,000 tons by 2025 from consumer adoption
Satellite deorbiting adds 10,000 tons space e-waste yearly from defunct TMT sats
Chip packaging waste from fabs totals 200,000 tons silicon yearly
Streaming device e-waste like Roku boxes: 50 million units discarded 2022
Gaming consoles generation 4 e-waste: 20 million units post-cycle
Smart home hubs e-waste 10 million tons cumulatively by 2030 projection
Cable modems and set-top boxes: 100 million replaced yearly, 80% landfilled
Wearables like smartwatches generate 50 million tons e-waste by 2025

E-Waste Management Interpretation

The TMT industry’s staggering e-waste statistics reveal a grotesque contradiction: we are feverishly mining the planet for precious metals to build devices we then casually discard, burying billions in value and our own future in the process.

Energy Consumption

In 2022, data centers accounted for approximately 1-1.3% of global final electricity demand, consuming between 240-340 TWh annually
The ICT sector's electricity use grew by 6% per year from 2015-2020, reaching over 10% of global electricity in some estimates adjusted for scope
Mobile networks consumed 0.5% of global electricity in 2020, with 5G base stations using up to 3 times more power per site than 4G
Global data transmission networks consumed about 260 TWh in 2022, equivalent to the electricity use of Spain
By 2030, data centers are projected to consume up to 1,000 TWh, doubling current levels if efficiency gains lag
Streaming services like Netflix contributed to 1.8% of global household electricity use in 2021 via video traffic
Cryptocurrency mining in the ICT ecosystem used 121 TWh in 2021, comparable to Argentina's annual electricity
Edge computing deployments increased energy use by 20% in telecom networks from 2020-2023
AI training models in TMT firms consumed energy equivalent to 626,000 US households for a single GPT-3 run, scaled annually to millions
Telecom towers globally number over 5 million, each averaging 5-10 kW power draw, totaling 200 TWh yearly
Hyperscale data centers grew 25% in power capacity from 2021-2023, reaching 40 GW globally
Video conferencing during COVID peaked at 40% higher energy use than in-person meetings per hour equivalent
5G Standalone networks could increase mobile energy consumption by 2-3 times without efficiency measures
Global semiconductor fabrication plants used 100 TWh in 2022 for chip production vital to TMT
Cloud computing services expanded to represent 20% of data center energy in 2023
Network slicing in 5G adds 15% overhead energy in initial deployments
User devices like smartphones consumed 4% of global electricity indirectly via charging in 2022
AR/VR applications in media projected to add 50 TWh by 2030 from rendering demands
Satellite internet constellations like Starlink require 100 MW per 1,000 satellites in orbit
Gaming servers for cloud gaming used 10 TWh in 2022, growing 30% YoY
IoT devices in TMT networks number 15 billion, drawing 50 TWh collectively in 2023
Broadband fixed networks consumed 150 TWh in 2022 across OECD countries
Media production for 4K/8K content triples energy per hour compared to HD
Telecom backhaul fiber amplifiers add 20% to network energy footprint
Data center cooling systems account for 40% of total energy use, averaging 100 TWh globally
6G research prototypes consume 5x more power per bit than 5G
Social media data processing centers used 50 TWh in 2022 for user feeds
Quantum computing pilots in TMT labs draw 25 kW per qubit system, scaling rapidly
Ad tech servers process 10 trillion queries daily, consuming 30 TWh yearly
Voice assistants like Alexa handle 100 billion requests yearly, adding 5 TWh

Energy Consumption Interpretation

While our digital world's thirst for energy is climbing at an alarming rate, with data centers set to double their consumption by 2030 and AI models already burning power equivalent to entire cities, the TMT industry's silent transformation into a major global electricity consumer reveals an unsustainable paradox beneath its seamless surface.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The ICT sector emitted 530 MtCO2eq in 2020, representing 1.4% of global GHG emissions from end-use of electricity and fuel
Data centers alone contributed 200 MtCO2eq in 2022, or 0.5% of global emissions
Telecom industry Scope 1 and 2 emissions totaled 132 MtCO2eq in 2021 across GSMA members
Video streaming services generated 300 MtCO2eq annually in 2021 from global traffic
5G networks could add 10-20 MtCO2eq by 2030 without mitigation, per network rollout
Bitcoin mining emitted 70 MtCO2eq in 2022, heavily tied to TMT infrastructure
Supply chain emissions (Scope 3) account for 80-90% of TMT firms' total GHG, over 1 GtCO2eq for tech giants
AI operations in TMT projected to emit 300 MtCO2eq by 2030 from training and inference
Mobile networks' emissions grew 7% YoY to 150 MtCO2eq in 2022
Data transmission networks emitted 160 MtCO2eq in 2022 based on grid intensity
Semiconductor manufacturing emitted 50 MtCO2eq in 2022 from energy-intensive processes
Cloud providers like AWS reported 70 MtCO2eq Scope 1+2 in 2022
Social media platforms' data centers emitted 100 MtCO2eq from user engagement in 2023
Streaming video on Netflix alone caused 100,000 tons CO2eq daily in 2021
IoT deployments emitted 20 MtCO2eq in 2022 from device lifecycle
Edge data centers added 15 MtCO2eq emissions growth in 2023
VR/AR content delivery emitted 5 MtCO2eq in 2022 from high-bandwidth streams
Satellite broadband emissions per user are 10x higher than terrestrial fiber, totaling 2 MtCO2eq for constellations
Ad delivery networks emitted 50 MtCO2eq from real-time bidding in 2022
Gaming cloud services emitted 8 MtCO2eq in 2023 from server farms
Quantum networks pilots emit negligible but scaling to 1 MtCO2eq by 2030
6G concepts project 50 MtCO2eq additional if not green designed
Telecom Scope 3 from devices reached 500 MtCO2eq in 2021
Media production emissions for digital content hit 200 MtCO2eq yearly

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Interpretation

Even as we digitize our world into the cloud, the TMT industry is constructing a very tangible, carbon-heavy atmosphere of its own.

Renewable Energy Adoption

33% of TMT operators sourced 20%+ renewable energy in 2022, up from 15% prior
Google achieved 64% renewable energy match for data centers in 2022, targeting 24/7 by 2030
Microsoft hit 100% renewable energy for consumption in 2023 via PPAs
AWS procured 100% renewables covering 2022 usage, with 15 GW pipeline
Telecom giants like Vodafone 50% renewable by 2025 commitment, 30% in 2023
Ericsson networks enable 90% energy savings with Massive MIMO renewables integration
Meta data centers 100% renewable since 2020, adding solar farms
Nokia 80% renewable electricity in operations 2023
5G base stations powered 40% by solar in off-grid deployments India 2023
Hyperscalers signed 50 GW renewable deals 2022-2023 for TMT growth
Apple 100% renewable for corporate ops since 2018, supply chain 58% 2022
Verizon 50% renewable energy 2023, targeting 50% by 2025
Samsung renewables cover 90% facilities, devices recyclable design
Huawei 50% green energy in networks 2023
Wind power for data centers reached 10 GW contracted 2023
Solar PV for telecom towers: 1 million sites globally by 2025 projection
Battery storage paired with renewables cut diesel 70% in remote TMT sites
Green hydrogen pilots for data center backup 10 MW scale 2023
TMT firms procured 20 GW solar/wind PPAs 2023 alone
Netflix 100% renewable energy goal met 2022 via RECs and direct
60% of TMT emissions reducible by 2030 via renewables shift
Oracle 100% renewable by 2025, 90% in 2023 data centers
IBM 75% renewable energy 2023, quantum labs green powered

Renewable Energy Adoption Interpretation

The tech sector's green energy sprint is impressive, yet the real marathon—achieving 24/7 carbon-free operations for the entire digital world—has only just begun.

Water Usage and Conservation

Data centers used 1.7 billion cubic meters of water for cooling in 2021, equivalent to 570,000 Olympic pools
Google data centers consumed 5 billion gallons of water in 2022, up 20% from prior year
Microsoft Azure facilities used 1.7 billion liters in 2022 amid heatwaves
Hyperscale data centers withdraw 450 billion liters water annually globally
Telecom cooling towers in urban areas use 10 million m3 water yearly per major city
AI hyperscalers like training GPT-4 used water equivalent to 1 million households daily cooling
Semiconductor fabs require 10 billion m3 ultrapure water yearly worldwide
Edge nodes in 5G use air cooling reducing water by 90%, but legacy sites still 5 m3/MWh
Video rendering farms consume 2 liters per kWh cooling in hot climates, totaling 1 billion liters
Crypto mining rigs evaporatively cool with 100 liters/MWh, 10 billion liters yearly
Streaming servers in Ireland used 15% of local water in drought 2022
IoT manufacturing plants use 5 m3 water per 1,000 devices produced
Satellite ground stations minimal but total 1 million m3 for thermal control
AR glasses production fabs 2 billion liters ultrapure water 2023
Cloud gaming data centers 500 million gallons cooling water 2023
Broadband CPE manufacturing 1 liter per unit, 500 million units 5e8 liters
Media encoding clusters use 0.5 m3/MWh evaporative, 100 million m3 yearly

Water Usage and Conservation Interpretation

Behind the sleek screens and instant connections of our digital lives, the TMT industry is gulping down water at an Olympic-pool scale, revealing that the cloud has a profound and thirsty footprint on the ground.