A new report from environmental groups including Greenpeace International and Friends of the Earth estimates that operating Nvidia chips sold since 2022 could have generated between 4 million and 21 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025. The wide range reflects different assumptions about how intensively the chips are used and the carbon intensity of the electricity powering them. Nvidia does not currently disclose use-phase emissions, so these are estimates, not company-reported figures. The report also highlights a sharp rise in Nvidia's supply chain emissions, from about 1.3 million tonnes in 2020 to 10.7 million tonnes in 2026, driven by materials, components, and manufacturing for GPUs and AI systems. While Nvidia argues AI could eventually cut global emissions through efficiency gains, the authors question whether those benefits will outweigh the growing electricity demand from AI infrastructure. They call for stronger disclosure of emissions from chip use, supply chains, and data center growth.
