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Meta set a goal to reach net zero emissions by 2030. We are developing technology to mitigate our carbon footprint and making these openly available.

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arXiv AI
4d ago

Beyond State-of-the-Art: Standardising Environmental Impact Metrics for AI Research

The paper highlights that as Large Language Models grow in capability and prevalence, their environmental footprint is increasing, yet the machine learning community lacks standardized carbon accounting practices. An automated review of 5,285 NeurIPS 2025 papers shows almost no reporting of environmental impact. To address this, the authors propose standardized sustainability metrics for training efficiency, heuristics for estimating inference carbon costs, a software tool called carbonbenchmark for tracking emissions, and the SMAJ framework to encourage prioritizing computational efficiency and environmental accountability over marginal accuracy gains.

By Lachlan McGinness, Dan Pagendam, Robert Offner
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 19

Wasted large language models: A life cycle thinking approach

The paper argues that large language models (LLMs) have a growing carbon footprint and that current efficiency gains are offset by rebound effects such as Jevons Paradox. It proposes applying the EU waste hierarchy—prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal—to LLMs, suggesting that preventing waste and unnecessary use can significantly reduce environmental impact. The authors emphasize that treating LLMs as products that can become waste offers new ways to motivate more sustainable practices.

By Erik Johannes Husom, Maria Emine Nylund, Ophelia Prillard