The development of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and edge computing is driving innovation and upgrading across industries. This process is accompanied by a sharp increase in demand for computing resources, creating new challenges related to energy consumption and environmental impact. For example, in the field of data centers, servers, storage devices, and network equipment consume large amounts of electricity when performing AI training and inference tasks. Similarly, in the smart terminal field, with the deployment and application of large models in AI smartphones, AI PCs, and other devices, their energy consumption has also risen.
Taking data centers as an example, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), as global demand for internet services and AI continues to grow, the electricity consumption of global data centers supporting these services is increasing year by year and is expected to double within the next four years. In fact, in a typical server rack, the computing chips alone can consume more than 50% of the power budget. The enormous energy consumption required to run complex AI workloads has become a major challenge for data centers. In this context, exploring solutions to reduce AI power demand is crucial for the sustainable development of society.
As a global leader in computing platforms, Arm, with its deep-rooted energy efficiency DNA, showcases how it can drive technological innovation in energy efficiency while fulfilling its sustainability and social impact commitments through innovative technologies and extensive collaboration with its ecosystem. In the latest “Arm 2024 Sustainability Business Report,” Arm presents strong data and case studies highlighting its outstanding performance in improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting social welfare.
1. Arm Computing Platform: An Excellent Combination of Performance and Energy Efficiency
In the face of increasing global demand for data computing and increasingly complex workloads, Arm’s solutions not only deliver market-leading performance but also prioritize reducing energy consumption. As the world’s most widely used and efficient computing platform, Arm technology, represented by the Armv9 architecture, has significantly improved energy efficiency through innovative designs, striking a valuable balance between technological progress and environmental responsibility.
For example, the significant emission reduction achieved by the AWS Graviton3 based on the Arm architecture illustrates the effectiveness of this approach. In collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Armv9 architecture has excelled in handling complex AI workloads, especially in data-intensive tasks where power consumption can be significantly reduced. Compared to non-Graviton processors, the carbon intensity in Graviton3 when running Arm-specific workloads is reduced by 68%. This not only improves the energy efficiency of data centers but also demonstrates how technology can lead the green transformation in cloud computing and large-scale data processing.
Another example is the Yitian 710, which, according to data disclosed at Alibaba Cloud’s 2022 Cloud Summit, can reduce the power consumption of each vCPU by a factor of 6 and the overall machine power consumption by more than 60% under a 30% CPU load. Carbon emissions are similarly reduced proportionally. With China’s national IDC annual power consumption of over 200 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the power generation of two Three Gorges Dams, replacing with Yitian instances could save the equivalent of one Three Gorges Dam’s worth of power.
Moreover, the Armv9 architecture stands out for its high scalability, enabling it to be widely applied across various computing scenarios, from smart terminal devices to large data centers. This architecture not only meets current technical demands but also provides a foundation for future larger-scale computing tasks, paving the way for green computing.
From small sensors running workloads on edge devices to large servers handling complex workloads for training large language models (LLMs), Arm CPUs are fundamentally driving AI transformation and are at the core of the expanding AI ecosystem for the decades ahead. By achieving a perfect balance between performance and energy efficiency, Arm is setting a more environmentally friendly and efficient technological standard for the entire industry, helping to achieve sustainable global energy use.
2. Mission-Driven: Achieving Net-Zero Emissions by 2030
Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to global society and the economy. In the face of this dire situation, Arm has set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, making significant progress in fiscal year 2024. According to the report, compared to the 2020 fiscal year baseline, Arm reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 77% in fiscal year 2024, a major reduction driven by the company’s multifaceted efforts.
Arm has successfully achieved 100% renewable electricity usage, ensuring carbon neutrality of energy consumption by transitioning all its operating sites to renewable energy. This initiative has significantly reduced the company’s carbon footprint and has become a core part of Arm’s environmental strategy. At the same time, electricity consumption in office areas in fiscal year 2024 was reduced by 19%, surpassing the original 8% mid-term goal.
Not only has Arm made progress in its own operations, but it has also actively promoted the green transformation of its supply chain. To better achieve the 2030 net-zero goal, Arm works closely with its supply chain, requiring its top suppliers to take proactive actions to reduce their own carbon emissions. The report indicates that through this collaboration, Arm’s supply chain carbon emission absolute target is to reduce by 42% by 2030. This strategy has already shown significant results, laying a solid foundation for the company to fully achieve net-zero emissions.
Furthermore, in line with its mission and philosophy of sustainable development, Arm’s employees have worked hand in hand with the company in ESG practices, driving positive social and environmental change together. In fiscal year 2024, Arm’s employees contributed a total of 10,000 hours of service to charitable organizations and nonprofits. Through these concrete actions, Arm demonstrates how it leverages its technology and team strengths to bring positive changes to global society. This not only enhances the company’s reputation but also provides the industry with a model for integrating sustainable development and social responsibility.
3. Ecosystem Collaboration: Advancing Technology for Good and Promoting Social Welfare
Arm continues to invest in an ecosystem of over 20 million software developers, enabling faster optimization of the Arm platform for a broader range of software. This means that more devices, industries, and use cases can benefit from the energy efficiency, outstanding performance, and accelerated development that Arm platforms provide.
Moreover, technology is not just a tool for driving innovation, but also a powerful force for solving global social issues. Arm adheres to the philosophy of “Technology for Good” and, through collaboration with global ecosystem partners, actively promotes the application of technology in social welfare:
- Social Impact and Innovation Projects: Since 2015, Arm has worked with partners on social impact and innovation projects, directly benefiting 6.1 million people. Through broader participation in Arm-supported social impact and innovation projects, indirect benefits have reached 32.9 million people, with technological innovations touching 818.8 million people. This demonstrates that meaningful and lasting social progress worldwide can only be achieved through collaboration and technology-driven efforts.
- Reducing the Digital Divide and Advancing Education Equity: Arm has been working with UNICEF since 2015 on several innovative projects to help children in impoverished and marginalized regions access digital resources. For example, Arm supported UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Center, which has improved the accessibility of educational resources for children in poverty-stricken areas worldwide. In Africa, Arm-funded drone and data academy (ADDA) programs have provided drone and data analytics training to over 3,800 students.
- Technological Empowerment in Health and Environmental Protection: Arm is also actively promoting technology applications in health and environmental protection. For instance, the AirQount project uses AI technology to monitor air quality in Uganda, helping the local government understand and improve pollution issues. Furthermore, Arm collaborated with the Gavi vaccine alliance to develop a biometric solution based on Arm technology to help Ghana track vaccine distribution efficiently. Additionally, Arm has partnered with Pachama to fund forest conservation projects in Borneo, helping to protect critical global ecosystems.
4. Leading Industry Innovation, Building a Sustainable Future Together
As Arm CEO Rene Haas said: “AI is the most profound opportunity of our lifetime. The moment is critical—it’s about humanity, the planet, and all of our futures.” By building foundational technologies for the AI era, Arm continues to support the transition to a cleaner, more efficient, equitable, and connected world. Looking ahead, Arm will continue to lead industry innovation, fulfill its commitment to sustainability, and create a better future for both humanity and the planet.
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