The Core Environmental Concerns: A Supply Chain Running on Fossil Fuels

The Taipei protest wasn't a spontaneous event. It was backed by a growing body of research from Greenpeace East Asia, including reports titled “Nvidia’s Green Illusion” and “Chipping Point,” which paint a stark picture of the environmental cost of the AI boom.

Surging Energy Use and Emissions

The numbers are dramatic. According to Greenpeace’s research, electricity consumption from the global manufacture of AI chips soared by more than 350% between 2023 and 2024 . This surge is concentrated in East Asia, where most of the world’s advanced semiconductors are produced.

In Taiwan alone, the emissions from AI chipmaking skyrocketed from 41,200 metric tons in 2023 to 185,700 metric tons in 2024 — a more than fourfold increase in a single year . This growth is primarily being met by fossil fuels rather than new renewable energy sources, a trend Greenpeace warns is creating a dangerous “fossil fuel lock-in” .

A Massive and Growing Carbon Footprint

Nvidia’s own emissions data reflects this scale. An analysis found that the company’s supply chain emissions—classified as Scope 3—have risen sharply. According to a Greenpeace report, they more than doubled from 2.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in fiscal year 2023 to 6.03 million tonnes in fiscal year 2025, an amount roughly equal to the annual emissions of more than 125,700 US households . Another Greenpeace document placed the figure for fiscal year 2025 at 6.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, nearly double the 3.51 million tonnes from fiscal year 2023 .

Critically, over 80% of Nvidia's total carbon footprint comes from its supply chain, much of which is in East Asia . Despite this, the company has not set a clear target to cut these emissions or made direct investments in renewable energy projects in its key manufacturing hubs like Taiwan and South Korea .

A “Decarbonization Deficit” Among Suppliers

An investigation into Nvidia’s 20 largest suppliers, which represent over 50% of its cost of goods sold, revealed a significant gap in clean energy adoption. The report found a “decarbonization deficit” in its East Asian supply chain, where just 24% of supplier electricity came from renewables, compared to over 80% among its North American suppliers . This discrepancy led Greenpeace to rank Nvidia last among major AI companies on supply chain decarbonization efforts .

Greenpeace’s Three Demands for a “Clean AI, Clean Future”

The confrontation in Taipei was tied to Greenpeace’s global “Clean AI, Clean Future” campaign, which lays out a clear set of demands for the world’s most valuable chipmaker .

1. Transparency: Publish transparent, annual updates on supplier emissions and renewable energy use .
2. A Binding Target: Commit to powering 100% of its entire supply chain with renewable energy by 2030, and explicitly stop relying on fossil fuel and nuclear power .
3. Direct Investment: Invest in and actively advocate for the development of new renewable energy capacity in critical supplier regions, specifically Taiwan and South Korea .

The underlying argument is straightforward. Greenpeace contends that Nvidia cannot position itself as the engine of a 21st-century “AI industrial revolution” while its supply chain remains powered by what they describe as “19th-century energy sources” .

The Core Environmental Concerns: A Supply Chain Running on Fossil Fuels

The Taipei protest wasn't a spontaneous event. It was backed by a growing body of research from Greenpeace East Asia, including reports titled “Nvidia’s Green Illusion” and “Chipping Point,” which paint a stark picture of the environmental cost of the AI boom.

Surging Energy Use and Emissions

The numbers are dramatic. According to Greenpeace’s research, electricity consumption from the global manufacture of AI chips soared by more than 350% between 2023 and 2024 . This surge is concentrated in East Asia, where most of the world’s advanced semiconductors are produced.

In Taiwan alone, the emissions from AI chipmaking skyrocketed from 41,200 metric tons in 2023 to 185,700 metric tons in 2024 — a more than fourfold increase in a single year . This growth is primarily being met by fossil fuels rather than new renewable energy sources, a trend Greenpeace warns is creating a dangerous “fossil fuel lock-in” .

A Massive and Growing Carbon Footprint

Nvidia’s own emissions data reflects this scale. An analysis found that the company’s supply chain emissions—classified as Scope 3—have risen sharply. According to a Greenpeace report, they more than doubled from 2.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in fiscal year 2023 to 6.03 million tonnes in fiscal year 2025, an amount roughly equal to the annual emissions of more than 125,700 US households . Another Greenpeace document placed the figure for fiscal year 2025 at 6.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, nearly double the 3.51 million tonnes from fiscal year 2023 .

Critically, over 80% of Nvidia's total carbon footprint comes from its supply chain, much of which is in East Asia . Despite this, the company has not set a clear target to cut these emissions or made direct investments in renewable energy projects in its key manufacturing hubs like Taiwan and South Korea .

A “Decarbonization Deficit” Among Suppliers

An investigation into Nvidia’s 20 largest suppliers, which represent over 50% of its cost of goods sold, revealed a significant gap in clean energy adoption. The report found a “decarbonization deficit” in its East Asian supply chain, where just 24% of supplier electricity came from renewables, compared to over 80% among its North American suppliers . This discrepancy led Greenpeace to rank Nvidia last among major AI companies on supply chain decarbonization efforts .

Greenpeace’s Three Demands for a “Clean AI, Clean Future”

The confrontation in Taipei was tied to Greenpeace’s global “Clean AI, Clean Future” campaign, which lays out a clear set of demands for the world’s most valuable chipmaker .

1. Transparency: Publish transparent, annual updates on supplier emissions and renewable energy use .
2. A Binding Target: Commit to powering 100% of its entire supply chain with renewable energy by 2030, and explicitly stop relying on fossil fuel and nuclear power .
3. Direct Investment: Invest in and actively advocate for the development of new renewable energy capacity in critical supplier regions, specifically Taiwan and South Korea .

The underlying argument is straightforward. Greenpeace contends that Nvidia cannot position itself as the engine of a 21st-century “AI industrial revolution” while its supply chain remains powered by what they describe as “19th-century energy sources” .