About

OpenButterfly is a nonprofit environmental observatory dedicated to understanding the ecological footprint of the global AI ecosystem.

Mission

We produce independent, methodologically rigorous environmental intelligence on AI labs, cloud infrastructure providers, semiconductor manufacturers, and data center operators. Our work is public, non-commercial, and not affiliated with any company in the AI industry.

We believe that informed public understanding of AI's environmental costs is a prerequisite for good policy, responsible investment, and meaningful corporate accountability. We are here to help provide that understanding.

What we publish today

Our two living datasets are public now. The Data page carries environmental profiles (energy, carbon, water, and disclosure quality) for the organizations we track, each metric tagged with a confidence tier. The Infrastructure observatory maps individual AI-related data center and power sites with their water-stress, grid-carbon, and community context.

Coverage expands as evidence is reviewed. New entities, new sites, and fiscal-year updates are added on a rolling basis, and absence from our coverage never implies environmental compliance.

How we produce our data

Every figure is traced to a source. We extract environmental metrics from primary documents such as sustainability reports, regulatory filings, government databases, academic research, and peer-reviewed analysis, and record the source alongside the number. Where a company discloses nothing, we estimate using documented, reproducible methods, and we label the estimate as exactly that.

Each data point carries one of six confidence tiers, from A (measured and verified) down to E (modeled), with ND reserved for figures a company has not disclosed. We never blend disclosed and estimated values without saying so. Our full approach, covering sources, the estimation cascade, and the T1–T6 disclosure framework, is documented on the methodology page.

Projections shown on the Data page are model extrapolations, clearly marked as such, and are never presented as company disclosures.

What OpenButterfly is not

Not a ranking toolWe do not produce league tables or scores. Environmental impact is multidimensional and context-dependent. Ranking obscures more than it reveals.
Not a shaming campaignOur purpose is to surface data and improve public understanding, not to condemn specific companies. We apply the same methodology to everyone.
Not an advocacy organizationWe do not lobby for specific policies, endorse particular technologies, or campaign for outcomes. We produce environmental intelligence; others decide what to do with it.
Not affiliated with the AI industryWe accept no funding from AI companies, cloud providers, or hardware manufacturers. Our financial independence is essential to our credibility.

Scientific integrity

Our methodology is documented and public. Every estimate carries an explicit confidence tier that reflects the quality and directness of the underlying evidence. We distinguish between measured data, disclosed (but unverified) data, documented estimates, uncertain estimates, and cases where no information is available.

We correct errors promptly and publicly. If we make a mistake in our calculations, attribute a figure incorrectly, or receive new evidence that changes our assessment, we update our records and document the change.

We do not publish estimates we cannot defend. When the evidence is insufficient to support a meaningful estimate, we say so rather than filling the gap with speculation.

Get involved

The research is ongoing: new entities are added and existing profiles updated as evidence is reviewed and new disclosures are published. If you are a researcher, data scientist, environmental scientist, investigative journalist, or policy analyst with relevant expertise, we would like to hear from you.

We are particularly interested in collaborators with experience in energy systems analysis, life cycle assessment, satellite imagery analysis, corporate disclosure review, and regulatory policy. Found an error or have evidence that should change a figure? Tell us. Contact us at research@openbutterfly.com.

This page was last reviewed and published in July 2026. OpenButterfly is a nonprofit environmental observatory and accepts no funding from the AI industry.