Revealed: The carbon footprints of 'digital green' initiatives
While the digital revolution is promising a greener future through technology, researchers are now discovering there is a significant and unseen environmental challenge.
New research at York University is revealing the true environmental impact of our increasingly online lives.
The York research conducted in collaboration with Singapore Management University and Durham University shows a critical paradox: the very infrastructure powering our "digital green" initiatives carry a substantial carbon footprint. As demand for internet services, virtual workplaces, and emerging technologies skyrockets, so too does the need for data centres, leading to exponential growth in the sector.
The Decarbonising digital infrastructure and urban sustainability in the case of data centres study has been published in the journal npj Urban Sustainability. It examines the decarbonisation and digitisation synergies and trade-offs of data centre development, particularly within the unique context of Singapore, a global digital hub with great AI ambition but faced with significant physical - energy, water, land limitations. These challenges are not unique to Singapore - cities like Dublin and Amsterdam have also imposed moratoria to manage the environmental strain of data centres. However, moratoria can severely damage investment flows and undermine the reputation of established data centre hubs.
Dr Felicia Liu explained: “This research bridges the gap between our perception of a virtual, low-impact digital world and its very real material footprint. The findings offer crucial insights and potential pathways for industry and policymakers to navigate the sustainable transition of the data centre sector, ensuring that our digital future is truly a green one.”
The research identifies five interrelated dimensions that underpin sustainable data centre development. This includes:
Innovation - including energy-, water-, and land-efficient data centre and chip designs, renewable energy solutions (including for land-scarce areas), effective and efficient retrofitting solutions, as well as responsible sourcing and waste management across supply chains
Infrastructure - reliable and efficient energy, connectivity, and water infrastructure must be in place to support uptime. Additionally, supporting infrastructure such as transport links and general ‘attractiveness’ of a place is crucial in drawing and retaining talent
Investment - an active market and a conducive regulatory environment to draw a diverse range of investors. Commitment to ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ criteria can draw a broader range of investment
Policy - clear, supportive policies in place to provide guidance and incentive to facilitate a sustainable transition of the data centre sector and the digital economy that it empowers. Disruptive policies such as moratoria may have an adverse effect on sustainable data centre development
People - attracting and developing relevant talent—engineers, technicians, project managers—is crucial. All professionals in the data centre sector should understand how to enhance sustainability within their areas of expertise and collaborate across functions to support a holistic sustainability strategy.
The increasing use of AI is dramatically driving up energy demands in data centres because it is such a highly energy-intensive form of computing, according to Dr Liu.
“The energy needed for computing services is growing exponentially - as economies compete in the AI race, it is vital we remember that this comes with an environmental cost.”