AI and Data Centers: Driving Global Decarbonization | Coursera For Individuals For Businesses For Universities For Governments Explore Degrees ​ Log In Join for Free Join for Free AI and Data Centers: Driving Global Decarbonization About Modules Recommendations Testimonials Previous Next Browse Information Technology Support and Operations AI and Data Centers: Driving Global Decarbonization Instructor: Taught by Schneider Electric Experts Enroll now Included with Coursera Plus •Learn more Ask Coursera Is this right for me? 5 modules Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals. Beginner level Recommended experience 6 hours to complete Flexible schedule Learn at your own pace 5 modules Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals. Beginner level Recommended experience 6 hours to complete Flexible schedule Learn at your own pace About Modules Recommendations Testimonials Previous Next What you'll learn Describe how AI‑powered data centers drive decarbonization across energy, transport, buildings, and industry Explain how AI and data centers support clean energy grids, smart mobility, and efficient operations Identify why sustainable digital infrastructure is essential for achieving global net‑zero goals Skills you'll gain Internet Of Things Data Infrastructure Electric Power Systems Digital Transformation Sustainable Technologies Manufacturing Operations Artificial Intelligence Information Technology Transportation Operations Climate Change Mitigation Manufacturing Processes AI Integrations Data Centers Automation Engineering Show all Details to know Shareable certificate Add to your LinkedIn profile Recently updated! April 2026 Assessments 22 assignments Taught in English See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills Learn more about Coursera for Business There are 5 modules in this course By the end of this course, you will be able to explain how data centers power AI‑driven decarbonization across the global economy and why sustainable digital infrastructure is foundational to achieving net‑zero goals. You will learn how AI, enabled by cloud and edge data centers, supports clean energy grids, optimizes buildings and manufacturing operations, and accelerates electrified, efficient transportation systems. Through five beginner‑friendly modules, the course explores real‑world examples of how predictive analytics, digital twins, automation, and smart energy management reduce emissions while improving resilience, efficiency, and reliability. You will gain a cross‑sector understanding of how AI relies on data centers to manage renewable energy, balance supply and demand, optimize EV charging and mobility, and modernize industrial and building operations, without requiring advanced technical knowledge. This course is designed for learners who want to understand how AI‑enabled data centers and digital infrastructure support decarbonization across major sectors of the economy. It is most relevant for data center, IT, and digital infrastructure professionals; energy and power‑sector practitioners; and sustainability or technology leaders working at the intersection of AI, electrification, and infrastructure. The course is also valuable for consultants, policy professionals, and students seeking a systems‑level view of how AI operates at scale - inside data centers, at the edge, and across connected industries - to enable real‑world emissions reduction. AI-Driven Data Centers: Revolutionizing Decarbonization Strategies Module 1•1 hour to completeModule details Data centers that once operated in the background are well known by almost everyone thanks to recent Artificial Intelligence hype. There has been a wave of new scrutiny of data center energy use and carbon emissions. However, forecasts showing future sustainability of the sector and active participation in carbon footprint reduction from the economy present optimistic perspectives. Carbon footprint reduction in every sector of the economy requires data centers. Electrification and digitization enabled by data centers will drive decarbonization, which will improve quality of life and boost technology development. By relying on renewable power sources, innovative power, and cooling technologies, data centers will continue to reduce their own emissions while mitigating major emissions from other sectors and leveraging Artificial Intelligence. What's included 10 videos 4 readings 4 assignments Show info about module content 10 videos•Total 22 minutes Welcome•1 minute What's in it for me?•1 minute Sustainability in Data Centers•1 minute Current Trends and Challenges•3 minutes Impact of Data Centers on Sustainability•4 minutes Impact of AI•3 minutes How Data Centers Enable Economy-Wide Decarbonization•3 minutes Artificial Intelligence Supports Sustainabilty•2 minutes Green AI and Sustainable AI Model Optimization•2 minutes Summary•1 minute 4 readings•Total 24 minutes Welcome to the Course: Setting Expectations for Your Learning Journey!•10 minutes What is the Jevons Paradox? •10 minutes How Six AI Attributes Change Data Center Design•2 minutes Course Resource: Schneider Electric White Paper•2 minutes 4 assignments•Total 36 minutes Graded Assessment•18 minutes Knowledge Check - Foundations of Data Center Sustainability•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI, Efficiency, and the Growing Data Center Economy•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI and Data Centers for Decarbonization•6 minutes Decarbonizing the Power Sector: The Critical Role of AI and Data Centers Module 2•1 hour to completeModule details The decarbonization of energy generation and distribution is an important objective because sizable emissions from this sector are widespread across the entire economy. The power sector requires electrification with more renewables in the energy mix. Equally important is extensive digitalization that will help manage transformation. This process will generate large amounts of data, which is impossible without including data centers in infrastructure. By housing Artificial Intelligence, data centers will allow smart management of supply and demand to mitigate carbon footprint. Energy generation and distribution are going to be significantly more resilient and secure thanks to the broader deployment of data centers. What's included 12 videos 1 reading 5 assignments 1 plugin Show info about module content 12 videos•Total 24 minutes Welcome•1 minute What's in it for me?•1 minute Decarbonizing the Energy Sector Through AI and Digitalization•2 minutes Digitalization and the Future of Power Generation and Distribution•3 minutes How Data Centers Influence Efficient Power Generation•2 minutes How Artificial Intelligence Enables Efficient and Renewable Power Systems•3 minutes Green Power Generation Enabled by AI and Data Centers•3 minutes Sustainable Energy Storage for Distributed Power Systems•3 minutes How Data Centers Support the Decarbonization of Operations in Power Sector•3 minutes How AI is Used with Power Distribution•2 minutes Urbanization, Decentralization, and AI-Enabled Power Sector Transformation•2 minutes Summary•1 minute 1 reading•Total 2 minutes Course Resource: Schneider Electric White Paper•2 minutes 5 assignments•Total 39 minutes Graded Assessment•18 minutes Knowledge Check - AI and Digitalization in the Energy Sector•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI and Data Centers in Clean Power Generation•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI‑Enabled Energy Storage and Distributed Systems•3 minutes Knowledge Check - AI and Data Centers in Power System Transformation•6 minutes 1 plugin•Total 15 minutes Practice Activity: AI for Smart Energy Systems•15 minutes Constructing a Greener Future: How Data Centers Power AI-Driven Decarbonization of Building Module 3•1 hour to completeModule details Reducing pollution from commercial and residential buildings is based on electrification and consecutive digitalization. Both actions show tremendous potential to deliver expected decarbonization through increased renewables share in energy supply, smart management of HVAC that respects building occupancy, and control of emerging electrical loads like EV charging stations located in buildings. Predictive tools driving that transformation are housed in data centers. AI will be used for battling buildings emissions from operations and mitigating embedded carbon, but large data generated in the process requires IT infrastructure. Sectorial efficiency gains achieved thanks to smart tools are impossible without data centers providing computing power and low latency transfers. What's included 9 videos 1 reading 4 assignments Show info about module content 9 videos•Total 15 minutes Welcome•1 minute What's in it for me ?•1 minute Decarbonizing the Buildings Sector Through AI and Data Centers •2 minutes Digitalization, Monitoring, and Predictive Analytics for Building Decarbonization•1 minute Smart Buildings, Hybrid Work, and AI-Managed Operations•2 minutes Enabled Energy Management and Renewable Integration in Buildings•1 minute Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Buildings Sector•2 minutes How AI enables Electrification of the Buildings Sector•3 minutes Summary•1 minute 1 reading•Total 2 minutes Course Resource: Schneider Electric White Paper•2 minutes 4 assignments•Total 36 minutes Graded Assessment•18 minutes Knowledge Check - AI and Data Centers in Building Decarbonization•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI‑Managed Smart Buildings and Energy Systems•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI and Electrification in the Buildings Sector•6 minutes Decarbonizing Manufacturing and Production: The Impact of AI on Data Center Efficiency Module 4•1 hour to completeModule details Substantial contributions to global emissions coming from manufacturing are likely to decrease thanks to improvements in operational efficiency. Digitalization of the production sector will lead a transformation towards optimized processes and have the potential to change the existing paradigm driving IT/OT convergence. In the foreseeable future, Artificial Intelligence that relies on undisturbed access to data centers will drive decarbonization of manufacturing. Smart algorithms employed in automation and predictive tools will decrease asset down time and generate vast amounts of data, which need to be securely transferred, processed, and stored. Data centers are an inevitable element in reducing carbon footprint in manufacturing. What's included 12 videos 2 readings 4 assignments 1 plugin Show info about module content 12 videos•Total 24 minutes Welcome•1 minute What's in it for me?•2 minutes Digitalization and Industry 4.0 for Manufacturing Decarbonization•2 minutes AI, Data Centers, and the Future of Sustainable Manufacturing•3 minutes Data Centers in Industrial Operations•3 minutes AI-Driven Energy Management and Decarbonization in Manufacturing•1 minute AI-Driven Waste Reduction and Real-Time Production Optimization•1 minute AI-Improved Product and Process Design Using Digital Twins•1 minute Automation and Human-Machine Interaction in Smart Manufacturing•3 minutes How AI is Driving the Change in the Manufacturing Industry•2 minutes AI-Driven Manufacturing Intelligence, Automation, and Cybersecurity•3 minutes Summary •2 minutes 2 readings•Total 4 minutes Industry 4.0 Enabled by Data Centers•2 minutes Course Resource: Schneider Electric White Paper•2 minutes 4 assignments•Total 36 minutes Graded Assessment•18 minutes Knowledge Check - AI, Digitalization, and Manufacturing Decarbonization•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI and Data Centers in Smart Manufacturing•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI, Industry 4.0, and Intelligent Manufacturing•6 minutes 1 plugin•Total 15 minutes Practice Activity - AI‑Powered Product Design •15 minutes Harnessing Data Centers: Driving Decarbonization in Transportation through AI and Electrification Module 5•1 hour to completeModule details The global carbon footprint is largely made of emissions from transportation. Electrification and digitalization of the sector will strongly reduce pollution and increase sustainability, thanks to green fuel and optimization of operations. However, smart management of EV charging stations or automated supervision of fleets with predictive algorithms driving decarbonization will generate large amounts of data. Data centers are an essential element of the transport evolution, enabling AI algorithms participation in sectorial transformation. Smart tools substantially increase data traffic and require low latency, secure networks, and fully accessible platforms to operate. Optimization and a large part of decarbonization in the transportation sector are impossible without the broader deployment of data centers. What's included 13 videos 1 reading 5 assignments Show info about module content 13 videos•Total 22 minutes Welcome•1 minute What's in it for me?•1 minute Transportation Emissions and the Need for Decarbonization•1 minute Electrification, Digitalization, and AI-Enabled Transport Systems•3 minutes AI-Enabled Transport Operations and Smart Mobility•2 minutes Policy, Behavioral Change, and Digitalization in Transport Decarbonization•2 minutes AI-Driven Transport Trends Across Modes and Logistics•4 minutes AI-Driven Autonomous Road Transport and Logistics•2 minutes Autonomous Maritime and Aviation Transport Enabled by AI•2 minutes Smart Cities and AI-Enabled Green Transport Systems•1 minute AI-Driven Fuel Innovation and Supply Chain Decarbonization•1 minute AI-Enabled Vehicle Technology and Freight Decarbonization•2 minutes Summary•1 minute 1 reading•Total 2 minutes Course Resource: Schneider Electric White Paper•2 minutes 5 assignments•Total 42 minutes Graded Assignment•18 minutes Knowledge Check - Decarbonizing Transportation with AI and Electrification•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI‑Enabled Smart Mobility and Transport Transformation•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI‑Driven Autonomous Transportation Systems•6 minutes Knowledge Check - AI‑Enabled Green Transport and Logistics•6 minutes Instructor Taught by Schneider Electric Experts Schneider Electric 1 Course•879 learners Offered by Schneider ElectricLearn more Explore more from Support and Operations Status: PreviewPreview S Stanford University The AI, Climate, and Energy Connection Course Status: Free TrialFree Trial S Starweaver Gen AI For Sustainability Course Status: FreeFree D DeepLearning.AI Carbon Aware Computing for GenAI Developers Project Status: PreviewPreview A AI CERTs Generative AI for Sustainability Course Show 8 more Why people choose Coursera for their career Felipe M. 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