India, Dec. 30 -- The problem with wallpapers is that they rarely last long. They fade, peel, or lose their grip. No matter how deftly they are pasted, they remain just that-pasted. Sooner or later, the illusion cracks, revealing that the green branches beneath are not real.

The same holds true when sustainability is applied like wallpaper-an afterthought or a quick cosmetic fix-on today's massive, consequential, and ever-expanding digital infrastructures. The scale, complexity, and permanence of the carbon emissions generated by these digital turbines are staggering.

Every call made, every AI query typed, every reel scrolled through, every virtual meeting joined, and every OTT episode watched adds another layer of soot and guilt to the...