Data Centres are complex.

They are, in essence, a system of systems, all working together to provide digital services to internal and external customers. 

There is a 100% correlation between electricity and digital services, and this means that the grid needs to be decarbonised for data centres to decarbonise. But there is also the tricky problem of embodied carbon, that is to say, the energy used in the construction of data centres and the energy used in the manufacture of all the components in the data centre, from the mechanical and electrical equipment, the associated fire/leak detection and suppression systems, and finally the ICT equipment.

This is a massive challenge, and we have only scraped the surface so far. 

The Challenge for Data Centres 

In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 

I’d argue, quite passionately, that we are failing in this regard. We are using considerable amounts of rare earths and other periodic table elements in ICT, and these are very rarely designed to be recoverable for future use. The amount of e-waste is increasing year on year, and business models are based on a consumptive approach. 

Who hasn’t been pressured into replacing a mobile phone after three years of use, even when it’s perfectly serviceable? Or had to replace their company’s IT estate due to the ending of warranty periods, again when the equipment is still usable?

This needs to change, but this, I feel, would require governments to enforce via legislation. 

The EU has a considerable amount of current and potentially future legislation for data centres, which should move the dial and result in more energy-efficient and sustainable data centres. But we’re a long way from every data centre being energy-efficient and sustainable. I am seeing glimmers of light in the darkness. 

Tighter Regulations are on the Horizon 

Firstly, data centres are likely to fall foul of regulations. The legislation is fairly benign at the moment, but I think it will become more onerous over time. The EU has set some ambitious targets. 

The current suite of legislative requirements is, in essence, a data collection exercise. The EU wants to set a baseline from which further analysis will be undertaken, and this will be used to design future legislation. This is likely to include the use of renewable energy, waste heat reuse, and sustainable building construction. In some EU member states, this is already apparent.

 Secondly, other aspects of the EU legislation apply to both the operators of, and the customers of, colocation and cloud data centres with respect to GHG emissions. 

If carbon taxes increase or company carbon budgets are introduced, customers will look to go where their IT costs, in terms of carbon, are less. 

If a data centre hasn’t developed a sustainability strategy, you may find your customers moving to one that has. The legislation is already in play for this, including the Digital Operations Resilience Act, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and the Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act. 

Opportunities for Data Centres to Decarbonise 

An inefficient data centre, powered by renewable energy, is still an inefficient data centre. So merely buying renewable energy (which incidentally seems to be the first port of call for data centre operators) isn’t going to be sufficient. 

Consider using sustainable construction materials. This will reduce the embodied carbon of the building. Don’t over-engineer the solution. Very few IT applications require the higher tier or EN 50600 classification levels, and treating all IT applications the same leads to complexity and higher costs and rarely achieves what the customer intended. 

Dissecting the Survey Findings 

Some of the responses I’d take with a considerable pinch of salt. The “talk” isn’t matched with the “walk,” in my opinion. 

I’m not a lover of “carbon capture,” which, to me, is abdicating your own responsibilities. I doubt very much whether targets are being hit, and I’m not convinced that the solutions cited are actually being explored in any great depth. 

I do agree that funding is a barrier, but the technology, knowledge, and regulations are already in play. So I don’t see this as a barrier, more of a smooth path for transition. Perhaps the cost is the real issue. 

Companies always look at solutions after they’ve been affected by an event. The climate emergency is a well-signaled event. Failure to adapt or mitigate the effects of a rise in temperature is going to affect your business on multiple levels. 

I’ll point to the recent floods in Valencia, where the Spanish Government has announced an €11.4 billion aid package. This is a huge sum compared to the cost of building a dam across the Poyo ravine, which in 2007 was estimated at €162 million. 

Perhaps more focus on climate risk is needed? 

You can get access to the full findings, here.

The Future of the Data Centre Industry 

I think, despite the AI gold rush, the data centre sector is in a very exciting place for the future. We’re going to see some very interesting developments triggered in part by AI but also legislation for climate change. 

We can stop moaning about this. It is NOT targeted at data centres per se. It’s targeted at everybody, and every sector will have to play their part. 

I’d also say that data centres are quite a long way down the adaptation and mitigation pathways. Everything we need is already here; we just have to change our thinking and adopt them.