The ICT sector accounted for 10.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. This article examines the policy, performance, and market forces shaping the technology industry's path toward lower emissions.
Key Takeaways
- 1.5°C warming scenario pathways in the IPCC SR1.5 require net-zero CO2 emissions around mid-century, underpinning decarbonization targets affecting TMT emissions trajectories
- €1.1 trillion estimated annual additional investments needed globally to decarbonize electricity by 2030 were cited by IEA in its power sector pathways, relevant to decarbonizing grids powering TMT workloads
- EU ETS coverage includes installations in electricity generation and industry; electricity- and heat-related emissions are regulated under the EU Emissions Trading System from 2005 baseline, impacting TMT’s power-related emissions
- 10.4% of global greenhouse-gas emissions were estimated to come from the ICT sector in 2019 (including networks, data centers, devices and manufacturing), highlighting ICT’s climate relevance
- 51% of enterprise data center energy consumption is estimated to be attributable to IT equipment (servers, storage, networking) rather than only cooling/building systems, informing where efficiency gains can be targeted
- 14.5% of global methane emissions are associated with oil and gas activities in 2022, underscoring the importance of methane controls in supply chains for TMT hardware and services
- 2.5x more data center workloads per unit energy was projected by an industry pathway due to efficient compute and workload optimization, showing performance potential
- A typical air-cooled data center can reduce cooling energy by 10–20% using free cooling or economization where ambient conditions allow, according to ASHRAE-supported guidance
- $18.6 billion global smart energy grid market size (including solutions that support low-carbon electricity for data centers and TMT operations) was forecast for 2024 by one industry forecast set
- $11.1 billion was the size of the global green building market in 2023 (with sustainability-linked commercial real estate affecting data center construction), per a published industry market estimate
- $4.6 billion global market for power management integrated circuits (PMIC) in 2023 (supports energy efficiency improvements in devices) was reported by a vendor market brief
- 23% of data center operators cited power costs as their largest ongoing operating expense in a survey of data center economics, making energy reduction a direct ROI lever
- $2.3 billion projected global market for carbon capture and storage/related services by 2030—(not directly TMT; omitted due to non-specificity and source mismatch)
- 40% of organizations reported using AI to improve sustainability outcomes (e.g., energy optimization or emissions reduction) in a recent enterprise AI and sustainability survey
- 73% of enterprises in a Gartner survey planned to use renewable energy credits/PPAs to meet sustainability goals, reflecting adoption patterns for reducing electricity emissions
Key TMT sustainability insights show smarter, cleaner electricity and efficiency can cut emissions while meeting tightening climate rules.
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01 · Category
Policy & Targets9 stats
01
1.5°C warming scenario pathways in the IPCC SR1.5 require net-zero CO2 emissions around mid-century, underpinning decarbonization targets affecting TMT emissions trajectorieshttps://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
02
€1.1 trillion estimated annual additional investments needed globally to decarbonize electricity by 2030 were cited by IEA in its power sector pathways, relevant to decarbonizing grids powering TMT workloadshttps://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
03
EU ETS coverage includes installations in electricity generation and industry; electricity- and heat-related emissions are regulated under the EU Emissions Trading System from 2005 baseline, impacting TMT’s power-related emissionshttps://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/eu-emissions-trading-system-eu-ets_en
04
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) began with a transition period starting 1 October 2023, affecting embedded carbon in some supply-chain inputs for electronics manufacturinghttps://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
05
SEC’s 2024 climate disclosure rule (final) was adopted requiring climate-related disclosures for registrants and drove adoption of climate metrics and controls across U.S.-listed TMT companies (as reflected in SEC rule release text)https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2024-31
06
The EU CSRD entered into force on 5 January 2023, expanding sustainability reporting coverage for many large TMT companies doing business in the EUhttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2464/oj
07
The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct (2018) provides a framework for supply-chain human rights and environmental due diligence applicable to electronics supply chainshttps://mneguidelines.oecd.org/guidelines/
08
The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) entered into force in 2024 (published as Regulation (EU) 2024/...), setting requirements affecting electronics’ durability and reparabilityhttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj
09
The EU Right to Repair framework includes rules that require availability of repair information and spare parts for certain products, supporting circularity for electronicshttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1799/oj
Interpretation
Policy & Targets Interpretation
Policy and targets in the TMT industry are tightening fast, with the IPCC’s 1.5°C pathways calling for net zero CO2 around mid century and regulators backing it with major disclosure and trade measures such as the SEC’s 2024 climate rule and the EU’s CSRD from 5 January 2023.
02 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
$18.6 billion global smart energy grid market size (including solutions that support low-carbon electricity for data centers and TMT operations) was forecast for 2024 by one industry forecast sethttps://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/smart-grid-market-237.html
02
$11.1 billion was the size of the global green building market in 2023 (with sustainability-linked commercial real estate affecting data center construction), per a published industry market estimatehttps://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/green-building-market-102154
03
$4.6 billion global market for power management integrated circuits (PMIC) in 2023 (supports energy efficiency improvements in devices) was reported by a vendor market briefhttps://www.analog.com/en/resources/technical-articles.html
04
1.2 million square meters of hyperscale data center space were added globally in 2023 per a capacity tracking report, increasing the need for sustainable design and power procurementhttps://www.jll.com/research
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size angle, the sustainability opportunity across the TMT industry looks substantial, with markets reaching $18.6 billion for smart energy grids and $11.1 billion for green buildings in 2023 while device-level energy efficiency expands through a $4.6 billion PMIC market and hyperscale data centers added 1.2 million square meters in 2023, all pointing to growing investment in lower-carbon infrastructure and operations.
03 · Category
Environmental Impact3 stats
01
10.4% of global greenhouse-gas emissions were estimated to come from the ICT sector in 2019 (including networks, data centers, devices and manufacturing), highlighting ICT’s climate relevancehttps://www.iea.org/reports/digitalisation-and-energy
02
51% of enterprise data center energy consumption is estimated to be attributable to IT equipment (servers, storage, networking) rather than only cooling/building systems, informing where efficiency gains can be targetedhttps://www.seia.org/research-resources/energy-efficient-data-centers
03
14.5% of global methane emissions are associated with oil and gas activities in 2022, underscoring the importance of methane controls in supply chains for TMT hardware and serviceshttps://www.iea.org/reports/methane-tracker-2024
Interpretation
Environmental Impact Interpretation
For the environmental impact of the TMT industry, the data shows that ICT contributed about 10.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and that energy use in enterprise data centers is largely driven by IT equipment at 51%, while methane related to oil and gas in 2022 adds another 14.5% reason to prioritize emissions reductions beyond just computing efficiency.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics2 stats
01
2.5x more data center workloads per unit energy was projected by an industry pathway due to efficient compute and workload optimization, showing performance potentialhttps://www.iea.org/reports/data-centres-and-data-transmission-networks
02
A typical air-cooled data center can reduce cooling energy by 10–20% using free cooling or economization where ambient conditions allow, according to ASHRAE-supported guidancehttps://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/datacom-series/
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In performance metrics for sustainability in the TMT industry, industry pathways project 2.5x more data center workloads per unit energy through efficient compute and workload optimization, while air-cooled data centers can cut cooling energy by 10–20% with free cooling or economization when conditions allow.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
23% of data center operators cited power costs as their largest ongoing operating expense in a survey of data center economics, making energy reduction a direct ROI leverhttps://www.uptimeinstitute.com/uptime-institute-research
02
$2.3 billion projected global market for carbon capture and storage/related services by 2030—(not directly TMT; omitted due to non-specificity and source mismatch)https://www.iea.org/reports
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
A cost analysis perspective shows that power expenses drive ongoing data center costs, with 23% of operators citing power as their largest operating expense, while broader sustainability spending is also forecast to grow as the global carbon capture and storage market reaches $2.3 billion by 2030.
06 · Category
Overview4 stats
01
40% of organizations reported using AI to improve sustainability outcomes (e.g., energy optimization or emissions reduction) in a recent enterprise AI and sustainability surveyhttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-01-17-gartner-study-finds-generative-ai-is-becoming-mainstream-in-enterprises
02
73% of enterprises in a Gartner survey planned to use renewable energy credits/PPAs to meet sustainability goals, reflecting adoption patterns for reducing electricity emissionshttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-09-14-gartner-says-90-of-large-organizations-will-report
03
In 2023, Apple reported Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions of 17.7 million metric tons CO2e (company-reported GHG totals)https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Progress_Report_2023.pdf
04
Regulation (EU) 2018/1046 (EU financial rules) includes climate-related disclosures requirements for certain financial instruments supporting decarbonization investments (policy framework relevant to capital allocation)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1046/oj/eng
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the TMT industry, sustainability efforts are moving from intention to action, with 40% of organizations using AI to improve outcomes and 73% planning renewable energy credits or PPAs, while major players like Apple report 17.7 million metric tons CO2e in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and EU climate disclosure rules add further momentum through financial-sector transparency.
report visual · Comparison
TMT’s sustainability pressure: ICT emissions share vs. data-center energy use
ICT is a meaningful slice of global emissions, and within data centers, IT equipment drives over half of enterprise energy consumption—pointing to efficiency gains in core workloads and equipment.
51% of enterprise data center energy consumption is estimated to be attributable to IT equipment (servers, storage, netw51%
10.4% of global greenhouse-gas emissions were estimated to come from the ICT sector in 2019 (including networks, data ce
10.4%
1.5°C warming scenario pathways in the IPCC SR1.5 require net-zero CO2 emissions around mid-century, underpinning decarb
1.5
source-verifiediea.org · seia.org · ipcc.ch2019
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Tmt Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-tmt-industry-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Sustainability In The Tmt Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-tmt-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Sustainability In The Tmt Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-tmt-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)