Data centres can be “net zero and sustainable”, says a new report published today (23 September)at Climate Week NYC by consultancy Ramboll.

The engineering, architecture and sustainability company has laid out what is says is a “first-of-its-kind” strategic roadmap to address the increasing negative environmental footprint of data centres and offer tangible ways to make data centres sustainable and net zero.

The white paper - Developing sustainable data centres: A strategic roadmap to achieve net zero carbon and reduce environmental impact - solutions for the design, development and delivery of data centres. The report outlines a series of achievable benchmarks for owners, developers, operators and consultants, directly tackling the core challenges to data centre sustainability: embodied carbon, operational carbon, biodiversity, circularity, energy and water.

Climate Week NYC is a global climate event, running from 21-28 September, which brings together existing and new leaders from areas such as business, tech, politics and academia. 

“The construction of data centres powered by the rise of artificial intelligence is booming across the globe, driving unprecedented demand for electricity and significantly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions, increased water consumption, waste production, habitat destruction, and resource depletion,” said Ed Ansett, Ramboll’s global director of technology and innovation.

“These challenges can be managed and mitigated if data centres are built with climate, biodiversity, and circularity in mind from the very start.”

Ramboll says data centres accounted for about 1.5% of global electricity consumption last year, a figure expected to double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Due to the large quantities of energy consumed, operational carbon is the dominant component of total carbon emitted by data centres.

The report reveals that achieving a net zero operational carbon benchmark is within reach through optimised energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement, energy reuse and export and demand response.

Embodied carbon, contained in the structure and materials of data centres, can be reduced by using lower carbon steel and concrete, locally sourced materials, or reused materials from decommissioned buildings.

Integrating biodiversity considerations into the planning, design, construction, and operation of data centres is vital to minimise the negative impact on ecosystems, protect existing natural habitats, and promote diversity of species within and around the data centres.

For example, the report recommends conducting early-stage ecological surveys to identify protected species, habitats and ecological corridors, as well as engaging landscape architects early in the process to influence site layouts

Data centres can further minimise their environmental footprint by implementing circularity practices. The proposed circularity benchmark for data centres is that all materials are reused, reusable or recyclable, with zero output to landfill or incineration.

Ramboll says data centres consume vast quantities of water, causing concern in water-scarce areas. The problem can be addressed with overall water neutrality, which is achievable with appropriate water reduction and reuse strategies. Data centre operators should avoid water-based cooling, maximise cycles of concentration and use additional water resources such as rainwater.

“There are economic benefits for data centre owners if they focus on circular practices,” added Ansett. “For instance, the sole physical byproduct of data centre energy consumption is heat, which has historically been unused and released to the atmosphere. Data centres are in an excellent position to export what would otherwise be wasted energy.”

To read the full report, click here