We have seen a sharp rise in carbon emissions throughout the last decade globally. Digital transformation is increasing at an unprecedented rate. That’s why connectivity demands are increasing, as are the strains on data centres, and our world is rapidly becoming a digital domain. With business, economies, & consumers growing ever dependent on digital services. Investing in data centre to achieve sustainability for new generations has become typical of a digitized or connected way of life.
Investing in Data Centre, Consider Net Zero Pact
Moreover,
- In the past few years, sustainability has fast risen to the top of business plans. The Harvard Business Review states that 99% of large-company CEOs approve that:
- “Sustainability issues are necessary for the future success of their businesses.” With Net Zero goals & sustainable commitments now a key factor in end-user decision-making, sustainability. It has become a prevalent topic within the data centre sector. Indeed, industry players, including Microsoft, Facebook, & Amazon, have all made public commitments to Net Zero. While already carbon neutral & powered by 100% renewable energy, Google, aims to be the 1st major company to be carbon-free by 2030.
- Hyperscale sustainability has also produced a ripple effect over the industry. Many of the globe’s most high-profile & influential colocation operators have made sustainable examples a foundational component of their operating models. Green Data Center examples in Europe, companies like Equinix, Interxion, & Kao Data have signed the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, setting targets to turn carbon neutral by 2050 while influencing policy & regulation internationally. Signatories of the Pact are already working under the European Commission.
Further,
To date, a comprehensive set of 19 suggestions span public procurement regulations, including both the procurement & development of renewable energies used by cloud and data centre providers. However, it has been suggested that the industry implement measurable energy efficiency targets:
- Purchase only 100% carbon-free energy.
- Prioritize water conservation.
- Reuse & repair servers as part of a wider-circular strategy.
- Look for ways to recycle heat (something already in place by EcoDataCentre in the Nordics).
In principle, these measures are logical and effective & will help quickly to invest in Data Centres to make Net Zero ambitions a reality.
Strategies for Net Zero Data Centres
To make Net Zero data centers a truth:
Firstly,
Operators need to agree on & define a bold, actionable, united strategy. It will empower design, procurement, facility operations, & sustainability teams to work jointly and collaboratively towards a common goal.
Secondly,
They must utilize resource-efficient & scalable data center designs. They will utilize fewer raw materials, enabling easier serviceability and offering an extended lifecycle through technology innovation.
Thirdly,
operational efficiency is important. Here owners must use data to gain visibility of critical systems, track energy usage through data center infrastructure management (DCIM) software, & benchmark their performance against said goals.
Fourthly,
Renewable energy management strategies were enclosing renewable energy credits (RECs), building on-site or distributed power generation through microgrids, or securing offsite generation via power purchase agreements (PPAs). It will be crucial in helping operators reach the next stage of their sustainability targets. And finally, it’s foremost that we begin to decarbonize the supply chain.
Further,
Now Scope 3 emissions are one of our industry’s largest challenges. We believe that technologies are labeled as Green Premium or those Vendors who grab the circular economy. They are transparent about the sustainability influence of their products and can take one step toward helping end-users understand their embodied carbon traces.
What’s obvious is that as an industry, no company can give all the answers, but the industry is progressing. And as we are committed to making investments in Net Zero Data Centers a reality, an actionable, integrated, and measurable approach will be crucial.
Powering Net Zero Pact
An initiative of “Powering Net Zero Pact” (The Pact) is introduced by SSE in cooperation with ten other founders as a legacy of COP26. It makes different companies come together across all tiers of the power sector. These sectors include civils, shipping, renewables, electrical engineering & others. They are committed to a fair & just transition to net zero carbon emissions. Together, signatories of the Pact work across more than 100 countries, had a combined annual turnover in 2021 of more than £55bn, are responsible for the livelihoods of over 240,000 employees, and work with more than 120,000 suppliers globally.
Investing in Data Centres includes five areas of ambition, five shared commitments, and five topics for collaboration, which encourage common ambitions for a sustainable future by 2025*.
- Five Areas of Ambition
- Five Shared Commitments
- Five Topics for Collaboration
Achieve net zero carbon emissions
To work towards science-based carbon targets aligned to 1.5 degrees by 2025*
Develop learning & quantification of the scope of three carbon emissions.
Protect and enhance the natural environment
Publicly disclose wider environment metrics, including water usage, air quality, and biodiversity, highlighting the importance of the wider natural environment in achieving net zero by 2025*
Share approaches to managing, protecting & enhancing biodiversity, to develop a framework for achieving Biodiversity Net Gain.
Transition to a circular economy
Set a waste reduction goal through the incorporation of circularity by 2025*
Develop innovative products and construction methods to raise resource efficiency and design out waste.
Guarantee fair work and sustainable jobs.
Create guidelines for the skills needed for net zero & guarantee fair work standards:
- Focus on stopping all life-changing safety incidents.
- Work towards giving all workers at least a real income.
- Admit the right to freedom of association for all workers.
- Recognize the significance of greater inclusion and diversity, with targets publicly disclosed by 2025.
- Implement a robust practice of good business ethics with clear channels for speaking up against crimes.
Add value to local communities
Identify & commit to the commonly responsible developer, constructor, & operator principles.Develop and nurture competitive, regular supply chains close to aids.
Conclusion:
There are many reasons for data center operators to embrace environmentally sustainable Green Data Center examples. Customers & investors are demanding it, regulations may require it, and it’s necessary for the future of Earth.
There is no magic bullet for investing in data centers (Net Zero Data Centers) a reality. Achieving such sustainability & energy efficiency goals requires a comprehensive and truly integrated approach, with a strategy defined and led by C-Level executives and ingrained across all business areas.