Emissions per kWh generated, life cycle assessment, in gCO2e/kWh, 2025 or latest published year.
Why this map matters for AI
It is the main determinant of the carbon footprint of an AI: for the same computation, a server emits 14 times more in Poland than in France and 21 times more than in Norway.
Published on 20 October 2026 · updated on 20 October 2026
France : 41 gCO2e/kWh (2025)
gCO2e/kWhless than 100100 to 200200 to 300300 to 400400 to 500500 to 600600 and aboveno data
Reference points, in gCO2e/kWhTurkmenistan, 1st1,306World, 2025458France41Ethiopia, 169th23
Source: Ember, Global Electricity Review 2026, and annual data via Our World in Data; Our World in Data, based on Ember, Lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity. Base map Natural Earth · projetcelsius.com/en/ai · CC BY 4.0AI Impactby Projet Celsius
The analysis
For the same computation, a server emits 14 times more more in Poland than in France, 21 times more more than in Norway.Poland589France41Norway28gCO2e per kWh, 2025 (Ember): the electricity of the same server
The United States hosts more than half of the world's AI data centres.
A data centre can buy renewable electricity by contract: its accounting does not necessarily follow this map.
The figures
On the green scale, the lighter a country, the more each kWh generated emits; yellow marks 600 gCO2e/kWh and above.Norway 28France 41United States 384World 458China 525India 670The colour scale of the map, from 0 to 600 gCO2e/kWh and above · Ember, 2025India670China525World458United States384France41Norway28A few countries, in gCO2e/kWh, 2025 (Ember)
World average: 458 gCO2e/kWh in 2025.
The darkest: nuclear or hydro (France, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Brazil).
The United States is at 384 g, China at 525 g, India at 670 g.
Assumptions
An annual, national average: intensity varies hour by hour and from one region to another.
Over the life cycle (Ember), a single source for all countries; the IEA, which counts only the CO2 of power plants, gives 435 g for the world.
Electricity generated in the country, all power plants, from construction to operation.
2025 for most countries, 2023 or 2024 for the others.
The map in detail
Countries, by map colour
23less than 100France, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway
28100 to 200Brazil
14200 to 300
18300 to 400United States
20400 to 500world average
28500 to 600Poland, China
38600 and aboveIndia
Number of countries and territories in each class of the map, in gCO2e/kWh · Ember, 2025 or latest published year
All values
The 169 countries and territories of the map, from the highest value to the lowest, with their year.
An error, a source to add, a methodology question, a press request: write to us. Guillaume Pakula, Clément Reynaud, Sébastien Pierfederici and Alexandre Veilly will reply.
Climate
AI Impactby Projet Celsius
Uses
