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Extraterritorial Environmental Accountability of AI Data Centers via Transboundary Harm and Due-Diligence Norms
- Truvace record
- TRV-2026-2582raw data (JSON)
- Version
- v1Published
- First published
- Evidence type
- Observational study
- Sources
- 1 sourcePeer-reviewed
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Abstract Artificial intelligence workloads are propelling a global wave of hyperscale data-center construction, yet little is known about how carbon intensity and water stress differentials shape sitting decisions or how the resulting externalities intersect with international environmental law. Drawing on a novel dataset of 247 AI-optimized projects announced between 2018 and 2025, this article couples’ event-study econometrics with life-cycle modeling to quantify cross-border spill-overs. Every 100 g CO₂ kWh⁻¹…
The problem
A study of 247 AI data-center projects found siting choices produce 21.4 Mt of first-year CO₂ leakage and 1.78 billion litres of water withdrawal, while only 18% of covered firms disclose project-level emissions.
What this doesn’t fix
The leakage estimates rest on announced design loads and assumed high utilisation, use average regional water-efficiency coefficients, and may undercount edge projects below 20 megawatts.
Sources
1 on file- Environmental Managementdoi:10.1007/s00267-026-02610-1
Cite this record
v1Truvace Impact Record TRV-2026-2582, v1: “Extraterritorial Environmental Accountability of AI Data Centers via Transboundary Harm and Due-Diligence Norms.” Truvace, 2026-11-12. /record/TRV-2026-2582 (accessed on the day you copy it). sha256 2922a25ae05cdda2…
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