Nature Positive: Role of the Technology Sector

Technology permeates every facet of daily life. More than 1 trillion semiconductors are sold annually, while over 11,000 data centres are handling everything from streaming to 2 billion+ prompts sent daily to AI models. However, the sector remains dependent on limited natural resources and faces increasing physical threats from extreme weather events, which climate change and nature loss are exacerbating.

Tech’s growth has a substantial nature footprint. Semiconductor manufacturing relies on over 1 trillion litres of freshwater annually, plus metals and critical minerals. Data centres draw 60+ GW of energy, enough to power California’s peak needs. Discarded hardware dumps 60 billion kg of e-waste annually, with less than a quarter recycled.

To ensure future success, tech companies must act swiftly to address their key impacts and dependencies on nature. This report, developed in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, recommends seven priority actions for tech leaders and demonstrates that nature-positive strategies can present financial opportunities – from recovered metals for new products to cost savings from reduced power and water consumption.