ISO/IEC TR 20226:2025

Information technology — Artificial intelligence — Environmental sustainability aspects of AI systems

This document provides an overview of the environmental sustainability aspects (e.g. workload, resource and asset utilization, carbon impact, pollution, waste, transportation, location) of AI systems during their life cycle, and related potential metrics. NOTE 1 This document does not identify opportunities on how AI, AI applications and AI systems can improve environmental, social or economic sustainability outcomes. NOTE 2 This document can help other projects related to AI system environmental sustainability.

Technologies de l'information — Intelligence artificielle — Aspects de durabilité environnementale des systèmes d'IA

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jun-2025
• ICS: 13.020.20 - Environmental economics. Sustainability
• ICS: 35.020 - Information technology (IT) in general
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 - Artificial intelligence
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 - Artificial intelligence
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 01-Jul-2025
• Due Date: 01-Dec-2024
• Completion Date: 01-Jul-2025

Standards Content (Sample)

Technical
Report
ISO/IEC TR 20226
First edition
Information technology — Artificial
2025-07
intelligence — Environmental
sustainability aspects of AI systems
Technologies de l'information — Intelligence artificielle —
Aspects de durabilité environnementale des systèmes d'IA
Reference number
© ISO/IEC 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .vi
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms. 4
5 Purpose . 5
5.1 General .5
5.2 The London Declaration .6
5.3 Existing International Standards .6
5.4 Environmental sustainability in the European Artificial Intelligence Act .6
5.5 Enacted climate change legislation and market response .6
5.6 Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy .7
6 Environmental sustainability . 7
6.1 General .7
6.2 Energy consumption .7
6.2.1 General .7
6.2.2 Types and sources of energy .8
6.2.3 Physical renewable energy supply, Power Purchasing Agreements and offsets .8
6.3 Geographic considerations .9
6.3.1 General .9
6.3.2 Location .9
6.3.3 Distribution of energy sources .9
6.3.4 Freight transportation of energy sources .9
6.3.5 Handling and storage of energy sources .10
6.4 Water use .10
6.5 Cooling .11
6.5.1 General .11
6.5.2 Types of cooling .11
6.5.3 Post cooling use .11
6.6 Carbon footprint .11
6.6.1 General .11
6.6.2 Applicable use of measurements and carbon accounting methods . 12
6.6.3 Estimation versus measurement . 13
6.6.4 Carbon leakage . 13
6.7 Consumption patterns and rebound effects . 13
6.8 Waste . 13
6.8.1 General . 13
6.8.2 Types of waste . 13
6.8.3 E-waste . .14
7 Perspectives of environmental sustainability of AI systems . 14
7.1 General .14
7.2 AI system ecosystem . 15
7.3 AI system life cycle .16
7.4 AI system supply chain .16
7.5 Other perspectives .16
8 AI system ecosystem perspective . 17
8.1 General .17
8.2 AI system .17
8.3 AI application .18
8.4 Machine learning .18
8.5 AI engineering .18

© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
iii
8.6 Big data and data sources .19
8.7 Cloud and edge computing .19
8.8 Resource pools .19
9 AI system life cycle perspective .20
9.1 General . 20
9.1.1 AI system life cycle in ISO/IEC 5338 . 20
9.1.2 Life cycle assessment in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 .21
9.2 Inception . 22
9.3 Design and development . 22
9.4 Verification and validation . 23
9.5 Deployment .24
9.6 Operation and monitoring . .24
9.7 Continuous validation . 25
9.8 Re-evaluation . 25
9.9 Retirement . . 25
10 AI system supply chain approach to determine environmental sustainability aspects .26
10.1 General .
...

FINAL DRAFT
Technical
Report
ISO/IEC DTR 20226
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42
Information technology — Artificial
Secretariat: ANSI
intelligence — Environmental
Voting begins on:
sustainability aspects of AI systems
2025-02-25
Voting terminates on:
2025-04-22
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
Reference number
ISO/IEC DTR 20226:2025(en) © ISO/IEC 2025

FINAL DRAFT
ISO/IEC DTR 20226:2025(en)
Technical
Report
ISO/IEC DTR 20226
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42
Information technology — Artificial
Secretariat: ANSI
intelligence — Environmental
Voting begins on:
sustainability aspects of AI systems
Voting terminates on:
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
© ISO/IEC 2025
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland Reference number
ISO/IEC DTR 20226:2025(en) © ISO/IEC 2025

© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
ii
ISO/IEC DTR 20226:2025(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .vi
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms. 4
5 Purpose . 5
5.1 General .5
5.2 The London Declaration .6
5.3 Existing International Standards .6
5.4 Environmental sustainability in the European Artificial Intelligence Act .6
5.5 Enacted climate change legislation and market response .6
5.6 Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy .7
6 Environmental sustainability . 7
6.1 General .7
6.2 Energy consumption .7
6.2.1 General .7
6.2.2 Types and sources of energy .8
6.2.3 Physical renewable energy supply, Power Purchasing Agreements and offsets .8
6.3 Geographic considerations .9
6.3.1 General .9
6.3.2 Location .9
6.3.3 Distribution of energy sources .9
6.3.4 Freight transportation of energy sources .9
6.3.5 Handling and storage of energy sources .10
6.4 Water use .10
6.5 Cooling .11
6.5.1 General .11
6.5.2 Types of cooling .11
6.5.3 Post cooling use .11
6.6 Carbon footprint .11
6.6.1 General .11
6.6.2 Applicable use of measurements and carbon accounting methods . 12
6.6.3 Estimation versus measurement . 13
6.6.4 Carbon leakage . 13
6.7 Consumption patterns and rebound effects . 13
6.8 Waste . 13
6.8.1 General . 13
6.8.2 Types of waste . 13
6.8.3 E-waste . .14
7 Perspectives of environmental sustainability of AI systems . 14
7.1 General .14
7.2 AI system ecosystem . 15
7.3 AI system life cycle .16
7.4 AI system supply chain .16
7.5 Other perspectives .16
8 AI system ecosystem perspective . 17
8.1 General .17
8.2 AI system .17
8.3 AI function .18
8.4 Machine learning .18
8.5 AI engineering .18

© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
iii
ISO/IEC DTR 20226:2025(en)
8.6 Big data and data sources .19
8.7 Cloud and edge computing .19
8.8 Resource pools .19
9 AI system life cycle perspective .20
9.1 General . 20
9.1.1 AI system life cycle in ISO/IEC 5338 . 20
9.1.2 Life cycle assessment in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 .21
9.2 Inception . 22
9.3 Design and development . 22
9.4 Verification and validation .
...

ISO/IEC TRDTR 20226:2024
ISO/IEC JTC1JTC 1/SC 42/WG 4
Secretariat: ANSI
Date: 2024-07-262025-01-25
Information technology — Artificial intelligence —
Environmental sustainability aspects of AI systems

ISO #####-#:####(X)
FDIS stage
2 © ISO #### – All rights reserved

ISO/IEC TRDTR 20226:2024:(en)
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication
may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO
at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: + 41 22 749 01 11
EmailE-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.orgwww.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
iii
ISO/IEC TRDTR 20226:2024:(en)
Contents
Foreword . ix
Introduction . x
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms . 5
5 Purpose . 6
5.1 General . 6
5.2 The London Declaration . 7
5.3 Existing International Standards . 7
5.4 Environmental sustainability in the European Artificial Intelligence Act . 7
5.5 Enacted climate change legislation and market response . 8
5.6 Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy . 8
6 Environmental sustainability . 8
6.1 General . 8
6.2 Energy consumption . 8
6.3 Geographic considerations . 10
6.4 Water use . 12
6.5 Cooling . 12
6.6 Carbon footprint . 13
6.7 Consumption patterns and rebound effects . 15
6.8 Waste . 16
7 Perspectives of environmental sustainability of AI systems . 16
7.1 General . 16
7.2 AI system ecosystem . 17
7.3 AI system life cycle . 20
7.4 AI system supply chain . 20
7.5 Other perspectives . 20
8 AI system ecosystem perspective . 21
8.1 General . 21
8.2 AI system . 21
8.3 AI function . 22
8.4 Machine learning . 23
8.5 AI engineering . 23
8.6 Big data and data sources . 23
8.7 Cloud and edge computing . 24
8.8 Resource pools . 24
9 AI system life cycle perspective . 24
9.1 General . 24
9.2 Inception . 28
9.3 Design and development . 28
9.4 Verification and validation . 29
9.5 Deployment . 30
9.6 Operation and monitoring . 30
9.7 Continuous validation . 31
9.8 Re-evaluate . 31
9.9 Retirement . 32
iv
ISO/IEC TRDTR 20226:2024:(en)
10 AI system supply chain approach to determine environmental sustainability aspects . 32
10.1 General . 32
10.2 Elements . 32
10.3 Mines . 33
10.4 Smelters and refiners . 33
10.5 Component manufacturers . 34
10.6 Assemblers . 34
10.7 Distributors . 34
10.8 Domestic infrastructure . 34
10.9 Internet infrastructure . 35
10.10 AI Training . 35
10.11 Data preparation, labelling and dataset size . 35
10.12 Device abandonment . 36
10.13 Collection of abandoned devices . 38
10.14 Shipping of abandoned devices . 39
10.15 Recovering of abandoned devices . 39
10.16 Disposing of abandoned devices . 40
11 Measuring the environmental sustainability aspects of AI systems . 40
11.1 General . 40
11.2 AI system ecosystem measurements . 40
11.3 AI system life cycle measurements . 42
11.4 AI system supply chain measurements . 43
11.5 Other measurements . 46
12 Approaches to reducing AI systems’ negative environmental impacts . 49
12.1 General . 49
12.2 Ecosystem approaches . 50
12.3 Life cycle approaches . 52
12.4 Supply chain approaches . 53
Annex A This document's clauses mapped to the UN Sustainability Development Goals . 55
Bibliography . 5

Foreword . viii
Introduction . ix
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms . 4
5 Purpose . 5
5.1 General . 5
5.2 The London Declaration . 6
5.3 Existing ISO/IEC International Standards . 6
5.4 Environmental sustainability in the Eu
...