Published Paper Details:

The rapid growth of cloud computing has led to an unprecedented demand for large-scale data centers, which consume significant amounts of energy and contribute substantially to global carbon emissions. Achieving sustainability in cloud infrastructures has therefore become a critical challenge for researchers, industry, and policymakers. This paper investigates the environmental impact of modern cloud data centers and explores optimization approaches to enhance their energy efficiency while minimizing carbon footprint. A systematic assessment of energy consumption patterns, resource utilization, and cooling mechanisms is presented to identify the primary contributors to environmental degradation. The study reviews state-of-the-art green cloud computing techniques, including virtualization, dynamic workload consolidation, renewable energy integration, and intelligent scheduling algorithms. Furthermore, optimization models and energy-aware frameworks are evaluated for their effectiveness in balancing performance with sustainability goals. The findings highlight that multi-dimensional strategies--combining hardware innovations, software-level optimizations, and renewable integration--are essential to achieve sustainable cloud ecosystems. This research provides insights into practical approaches and future directions for developing environmentally responsible cloud data centers that align with global sustainability objectives.