The Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, has published the technical specification UNE 0086, a pioneering initiative developed in collaboration with the Secretariat of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, in line with the commitment to more responsible and sustainable Artificial Intelligence under the National Green Algorithms Program (PNAV).
The new specification establishes a common framework for measuring energy consumption, carbon footprint, water usage, and AI system performance, thus contributing to the promotion of more sustainable, transparent, and responsible technology.
Its development involved a specialized technical working group, comprising over 40 members from the green algorithms research community, alongside private companies — both large tech corporations and highly specialized AI firms — as well as certification bodies providing a verification perspective.
UNE 0086 pays particular attention to generative AI models and large language models (LLMs), due to their high computational demands and associated environmental impact. Through this standardization, a decisive step is taken toward measurable and environmentally efficient AI, facilitating the comparison, optimization, and validation of its performance with objective and verifiable criteria.
Towards more responsible and sustainable AI
This initiative, part of the 2024 Artificial Intelligence Strategy, reflects the commitment of the Spanish Government and UNE to promote ethical, transparent AI aligned with sustainability goals.
The specification defines indicators to assess the most critical phases of the AI development process, such as direct energy and water consumption during training and inference, contributing to more efficient resource management.
A European benchmark in technological sustainability
UNE 0086 represents a key step toward future European standardization in AI sustainability. This initiative positions Spain at the international forefront in defining standards for sustainable technology, in line with the requirements of the 'Code of Good Practices for General-Purpose AI Models' of August 2025 and the European Artificial Intelligence Regulation.
This new specification strengthens Spain’s role as a benchmark in developing standards that combine innovation, ethics, and sustainability in the field of AI.
