2025 ESG Report: Data centre environmental impact

Structure Research has released its latest 2025 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, providing an in-depth look at the environmental footprint of data centre providers and hyperscale platforms. The report captures sustainability metrics from 26 data centre operators and nine hyperscale cloud platforms, offering a unique snapshot into carbon emissions, energy consumption and water usage across the global infrastructure ecosystem. The 2025 ESG Report finds that while data centre energy usage continues to rise - now accounting for more than 1.1% of global energy consumption - average carbon emissions per unit of energy consumed are trending downwards, driven by the growing adoption of renewable and carbon-free energy sources. Total energy usage increased from 178.5TWh in 2019 to 310.6TWh in 2024, while emissions intensity fell from 366.9mtCO2e/GWh to 312.7mtCO2e/GWh over the same period. “Data centres are foundational to the modern digital economy, and that means they carry a growing environmental responsibility,” says Philbert Shih, Managing Director of Structure Research. “What this report shows is that while energy consumption continues to climb, providers are making meaningful progress in efficiency and renewable adoption. The industry is clearly moving in the right direction - but transparency and accountability will be critical as sustainability expectations evolve.” Key findings from the report Sustainability progress amid rising demand · Energy usage by ESG Leaders grew 17.9% over the last five years, while renewable energy consumption increased by 27.9%. · Hyperscalers now use renewable sources for approximately 91% of their total energy needs; data centre providers reached 62%. · Carbon-free energy, including nuclear, is emerging as a key part of the data centre energy mix as power constraints grow in Tier 1 markets. PUE and water efficiency improvements · Average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) for data centre providers declined from 1.44 in 2019 to 1.38 in 2024, while hyperscale PUEs remained at an industry-leading 1.22. · Data centre water consumption increased by 9.6% over five years, driven by demand for liquid cooling to support AI workloads and higher rack densities. The report introduces the Structure Research Sustainability Quadrant (SRSQ), a benchmark framework ranking providers based on transparency, operational efficiency and renewable energy usage. The SRSQ aims to encourage better reporting standards and highlight leaders in environmental performance. Structure Research’s analysis found that ESG reporting across the sector is becoming more common, though significant variation remains in the scope and depth of disclosures. The report emphasises the importance of transparency in environmental reporting and urges providers to include more granular, region-specific data in future disclosures. The 2025 ESG Report is a tool for hyperscalers, colocation providers, enterprises and policymakers seeking to understand the environmental implications of data centre growth and how industry leaders are responding.

Schneider unveils enhanced GenieEvo with 31.5kA fault rating

Schneider Electric has announced the launch of GenieEvo 31.5kA in the UK and Ireland.  GenieEvo is an air insulated medium voltage switchgear offering, with resilience, safety and reliability at its core.  Its higher fault current protection of 31.5kA, up from 25kA in previous iterations, means it reduces the risk of power outages by minimisig the dangers of equipment damage in the event of power overloads or short circuits  GenieEvo is digital in design and comes with Schneider Electric’s EcoCare membership services plan. It incorporates smart Internet of Things (IoT) sensors which transmit data, in real-time, to experts at Schneider Electric’s Connected Services Hub for monitoring and analysis. This enables condition-based monitoring and predictive maintenance which can cut the number of unplanned outages and ensure a more efficient approach to maintaining equipment.  It is particularly suited to those with heavy-duty electrical distribution needs such as Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), data centres and medium to large sites with significant energy requirements. These include industries such as oil and gas, mining and manufacturing, as well as large buildings including airports and hospitals.  GenieEvo key features include:  · A pure air design vacuum switchgear with a high fault current rating of 31.5kA for enhanced resilience, safety and reliability.   · Newly designed C-type bushings which are easy to install offering improved insulation, durability and thermal management.  · Innovative 2000A Busbar CTs ensuring high accuracy in metering and monitoring.  · A-FL switchgear front and side protection for users for Internal Arc Compliance (IAC).  · IoT sensors monitoring thermal, environmental and partial discharge data, 24/7, enabling condition-based and predictive maintenance.  · A compact design which can reduce space requirements by up to 40%. It comes with pre-engineered panels to meet individual requirements and can scale to meet future needs.  “To enable the energy transition, we need to integrate more energy sources to the distribution network, and this creates challenges, particularly for those with significant electricity demands,” says David Hall, Schneider Electric’s Vice President of Power Systems UK&I. “Organisations can’t afford power outages and must take control when it comes to resilience, safety and reliability. They should look at their switchgear as a priority. GenieEvo has been developed in response to market demands, allowing them to do just this.” Schneider Electric will manufacture the GenieEvo at its Leeds site. 

Vertiv upgrades SmartAisle for efficient edge computing in EMEA

Vertiv has announced a significant upgrade to its Vertiv SmartAisle solution, designed specifically for edge computing applications up to 180kW. Now available across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), this complete pre-engineered system combines power, cooling, racks and advanced management and monitoring capabilities in a single integrated unit, designed to simplify and quicken edge computing deployments. In line with the European Union Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) the system provides energy efficient operation and includes power usage effectiveness (PUE) monitoring to help organisations track operations alongside their responsible business goals.  "The upgraded Vertiv SmartAisle really changes the game when it comes to effective and successful edge deployments", says Giuseppe Leto, Senior Director IT Systems Business at Vertiv in EMEA. "We've made it easier, faster and more cost-effective for businesses to scale and grow their IT operations. The pre-engineered system eliminates the traditional challenges of planning of multiple equipment installations and logistics while providing customers with a complete, reliable end-to-end solution that allows data centre operators to monitor energy efficiency requirements following the latest EU regulations.” The embedded Vertiv RDU501 intelligent infrastructure management appliance allows data centre operators to control system operations in real-time 24/7, offering a consolidated and easy to use monitoring and management platform. In addition, the Vertiv approach to pre-engineered, edge smart solutions helps organisations reduce planning, design and site preparation time by up to 80% while lowering deployment costs by up to 30% compared to a brick-and-mortar alternative, while the integration of all components is designed to achieve up to 20% higher energy efficiency compared to industry averages.  Vertiv SmartAisle is part of Vertiv’s growing portfolio of flexible, fully pre-engineered modular solutions. The system is available as standard in four different reference designs, with the ability to scale up to 180kW IT load and features N+1 redundancy for both power and cooling systems.  Key features and benefits include: · Advanced 24/7 monitoring of energy consumption and capacity management  · Precise environmental monitoring with six sensors per server rack · High efficiency, modular uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems  · Power distribution through power bars or floor-mounted PDUs · Integrated power monitoring via rack-mounted power distribution units (rPDU) · Adaptive direct expansion cooling system with 20-100% modulating capacity · Enhanced thermal efficiency through cold aisle containment · Advanced physical security with e-handles and IP cameras · Scalable architecture enabling standardised deployment across multiple edge sites

New digital gateway for Southern Europe

Schneider Electric and Digital Realty are delivering a new digital gateway for Southern Europe - the new HER1 Data Center in Heraklion, Crete. Launched earlier this week as the first carrier-neutral facility on the island, HER1 plays a critical role in reducing Southern Europe’s digital connectivity and infrastructure gap by enabling the interconnection of international, regional and local subsea cables, empowering cloud, telco and content delivery networks (CDNs) to better serve the surrounding regions. Working in tandem with fast-growing markets including Athens, Barcelona, Marseille, Rome and Tel Aviv, HER1 forms a central part of Digital Realty’s Mediterranean data centre platform and takes a major step towards establishing Greece as a strategic connectivity hub for Southern and Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Following a successful prefabricated data centre deployment at its Marseille 2 (MRS2) facility, Digital Realty leveraged a turnkey, Tier III solution from Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Modular Data Center portfolio to overcome a host of challenges at HER1. They included requirements for accelerated speed-to-market with a target to become operational within 12 months, increased levels of energy efficiency, and off-site production, testing and delivery due to HER1’s remote location in Crete. To achieve this, Schneider Electric provided a purpose-built solution including two, fully integrated, prefabricated power modules containing MV, transformers, LV, UPS equipment and air-cooling systems. Additionally, it deployed two, large-scale, all-in-one Data Halls, complete with power, cooling and IT, utilising Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure monitoring solution for buildings management and electrical power management systems (EPMS). Further, Schneider Electric provided the compete spectrum of data centre design, build and consultancy services, including all mechanical, electrical (M&E) and software equipment, production, assembly, commissioning and security services. This enabled Digital Realty’s HER1 facility to meet its demanding deployment timeframes, while minimising the risk of failures during its on-site installation.   "Digital Realty’s substantial investment in our new Heraklion data centre highlights our dedication to establishing the Mediterranean as a global connectivity hub, connecting continents and enabling digital transformation,” says Fabrice Coquio, SVP Digital Realty in France. “Thanks to our strategic partnership with Schneider Electric, we are accelerating the time to market of this critical project to quickly meet the surging digital traffic demands in the region, while enhancing network resilience and diversity for enterprises and communities alike." Due to its geographical location and the ongoing investments in submarine networks such as 2Africa, Andromeda, East to Med Corridor (EMC), Medusa and Thetis, many organisations are selecting Crete as a strategic destination for cable termination and data centre deployments - transforming the region into a global interconnection hub that brings multiple continents together. HER1, Digital Realty’s first carrier-neutral data centre in Crete, is located next to the landing point of several subsea cable systems and will offer a highly resilient data centre capacity to the cloud, subsea cable and connectivity communities.

ZTE enhances all-optical networks with smart ODN solutions

Hans Neff, Senior Director of ZTE CTO Group, recently delivered a keynote speech entitled ‘Embracing the AI Era to Accelerate the Development of All-Optical Networks’ at the FTTH Conference 2025 in Amsterdam, sharing the company's solutions and experience in focusing on AI empowerment to achieve intelligent ODN, improve the deployment efficiency of all-optical networks, and reduce deployment and O&M costs. At present, the deployment of all-optical networks is continuously accelerated, and the rapidly developing AI is increasingly integrated into broadband IT systems, significantly improving the intelligent level of FTTx deployment, operation and maintenance. In Europe, the National Broadband Plan (NBP) and the EU policies are actively advocating for an all-optical, gigabit and digitally intelligent society, and the demand for sustainable, efficient and future-oriented network infrastructure is growing. Hans pointed out that operators are facing challenges such as high costs, complex network management and diverse deployment scenarios. AI and digital intelligence can provide end-to-end support for ODN construction in multiple aspects. Hans described how ZTE leverages AI technology to build intelligent ODNs across the entire process, enhancing efficiency and reducing operational complexity. He elaborated on the specific applications and advantages of intelligent ODN across three phases: before, during and after deployment. Before deployment, one-click zero-touch site surveys, AI-based automatic planning and design, and paperless processes replace traditional manual methods, significantly reducing the time and human resources required. During deployment, real-time visualised and cost-effective solutions, along with tailored product combinations - such as pre-connectorised splice-free ODN, plug-and-play deployment and air-blowing solutions - ensure smooth construction while reducing both time and labour costs. After deployment and delivery, intelligent real-time ODN network detection, analysis and risk warnings minimise fault location time, improving monitoring accuracy and troubleshooting efficiency. Additionally, new solutions like passive ID branch detection enable 24/7 real-time optical link monitoring, dynamic perception of link changes and automatic updates, ensuring 100% accuracy of end-to-end ODN resources. This proactive approach optimises network performance while streamlining maintenance and resource management. Hans emphasised that collaboration among multiple parties is key to accelerating the construction of intelligent ODN networks. Suppliers play a vital role in driving digital and intelligent platforms, developing innovative product portfolios and delivering localised solutions through strategic partnerships. By leveraging AI and digital intelligence, operators and stakeholders can effectively address challenges such as high costs, complex construction and maintenance, and regional adaptability. ZTE says it is committed to providing comprehensive intelligent ODN solutions and building end-to-end all-optical networks. Moving forward, ZTE will continue collaborating with global partners to harness its advanced network and intelligent capabilities. ZTE aims to help operators build and operate cutting-edge, efficient and intelligent broadband networks, unlocking new application scenarios and fostering a ubiquitous, green and efficient era of all-optical networks.

Portman Partners introduces recruitment service for data centres

Portman Partners is making a strategic investment in Flint DC, a new no-nonsense rapid-hire recruitment service specifically designed to provide data centres industry with the talent and expertise it needs, and help it overcome the ongoing talent challenge it faces at a crucial growth phase. Currently, the sector relies upon the traditional contingent recruitment model, which is proving to be ill-suited for the industry, says Mike Meyer Managing Partner of Portman Partners. “The data centre industry is predicted to be powering up the future but it is failing to find and attract the right talent to build it today,” he says. “There are some great recruiters out there but contingent recruitment processes, combined with emerging recruiters who have limited industry knowledge, and an influx of unsuitable applicants due to this, put businesses at risk of falling short of their ambitions.” Recognising these challenges, Portman Partners is leveraging its deep industry expertise to create a new style of recruitment solution with the launch of Flint DC, one that will deliver better outcomes for clients. Flint’s service - Contingent+ - combines the standard contingent terms of business with recruitment fees contingent on a successful outcome, with the bespoke search methodology typically reserved for head-hunting or specialised roles. Flint is built on a recruitment model that will deliver critical talent speedily, efficiently - with a new approach that won’t slow businesses down. “Flint is born out of the demand for a better approach to hiring in the data centre industry,” explains Mike. “In my 30 years in data centres, I’ve encountered the same frustrations again and again across the sector. We want to change the way things were done.  “With Flint DC and the Contingent+ model, we’re taking everything that makes Portman successful in stealth executive search - our specialised knowledge, our global reach and our no-nonsense approach - and building an agile recruitment model that delivers the right results for all hiring levels,” says Mike. “We’re not just another recruitment firm. We’re the solution our clients have been asking for.” Paul Cutliffe, Managing Director of Flint DC, says this represents a new era in data centre recruitment, “We are offering a Contingent+ model that streamlines hiring while ensuring quality, speed and alignment with the unique needs of data centre businesses. I am passionate about helping businesses find high-calibre candidates who are a good cultural fit and will enable transformational change. I am looking forward to supporting our clients as they power on into the future.”  

Start Campus unveils new SIN01 data centre in Portugal

Start Campus has celebrated the official inauguration of SIN01 in Portugal, its first operational facility within the company’s 1.2GW SINES Data Campus.  Located on Portugal’s southwest coast, SIN01 is now the largest data centre facility ever commissioned in the country – and a pivotal milestone in positioning Portugal at the centre of the global data economy, strengthening its role as a key hub for digital infrastructure in Europe and globally. The inauguration brought together national leaders and international stakeholders, including senior representatives from the Portuguese Government, the United States Embassy in Portugal and other national and international authorities. The ceremony underscores the strategic value and its role in anchoring one of the largest private digital infrastructure investments in Europe.  Start Campus’ shareholders, Davidson Kempner Capital Management and Pioneer Point Partners LLP, have provided the funding to privately deliver SIN01 without subsidies, public funds or tax benefits. Coupled with the support of a world-class US bank, this investment marks a strong vote of confidence in Portugal’s digital and clean energy potential on the global stage. “We expect this campus to represent more than €8.5 billion in construction investment alone – and we anticipate our customers to invest multiples of that in infrastructure and technology deployments on-site,” says Robert Dunn, CEO of Start Campus.  The full campus, once complete, is expected to comprise of six buildings across 1.2GW of capacity, with grid access already secured. The construction of the next 180MW facility (SIN02) is expected to begin later in 2025. “The Sines Project will continue to ensure Portugal is at the forefront of the race for the development of artificial intelligence, with major international technology companies already operating in our country", adds João Talone, Senior Consultant at Davidson Kempner.  As part of the ceremony, senior members of the Portuguese Government emphasised the SINES Data Campus as a symbol of national ambition and forward-looking infrastructure policy.

Castrol and Schneider Electric launch liquid cooling lab in Shanghai

Castrol and Schneider Electric have opened a new liquid cooling technology co-laboratory in Shanghai under a strategic partnership agreement. This collaboration aims to offer customers new innovations in data centre cooling technology. The co-laboratory will support the development of benchmark liquid cooling projects for data centres in the future. It will also serve as a jointly branded customer demonstration centre, showcasing significant breakthroughs in liquid cooling technology to the data centre industry. Castrol and Schneider Electric will work together to carry out in-depth product development and projects that can address the practical technical challenges faced by customers – such as compatibility between the cooling liquid and devices, and improving heat dissipation, among other issues. Through joint research and development, technology sharing and other approaches, both companies will aim to expand the adoption of liquid cooling technology across various scenarios.  Castrol's high-performance cooling liquids will be integrated with Schneider Electric's data centre solutions, including infrastructure such as the Cooling Distribution Unit (CDU), power supplies, server rack and intelligent power distribution equipment. In the future, both companies will collaborate to achieve further in-depth integration by conducting compatibility tests of data centre liquid cooling fluids and infrastructure. This will help ensure the stability and safety of the combined products of Castrol and Schneider Electric and provide one-stop liquid cooling solutions for more customers. At the opening of the co-laboratory, Peter Huang, Vice President, Thermal Management at Castrol, said, "In the era of AI, the construction of liquid cooling infrastructure in data centres is developing rapidly. Through Castrol’s strategic partnership with Schneider Electric, we will jointly provide end-to-end solutions for the construction, operation and maintenance of data centres, ranging from the hardware in server rooms to liquid cooling fluids." Castrol and Schneider Electric are committed to providing higher-quality data centre liquid cooling services and promoting safe and energy-efficient development of data centres that are fit for the future.

Colt DCS: 117MW data centre expansion in Germany

Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS) has announced plans to develop four new data centres in Germany.  The four facilities will consist of Frankfurt 4 & 5 and Berlin 1 & 2. The two Frankfurt data centres will be built on an 18-acre site and provide a combined 63MW, while the Berlin data centres will be constructed on a 9.5-acre site and provide a total 54MW of IT capacity. Colt DCS is targeting first phase RFS (ready for service) at Frankfurt 4 and Berlin 1 by the end of 2028, with renewable power contracts already secured. The new data centres will add 117MW to Colt DCS’ capacity in Germany, bringing its total in-country capacity to 176MW.The acquisitions in Frankfurt and Berlin, reinforce Colt DCS’ commitment to digital infrastructure in Germany, and represents a €2 billion investment in its economy.  The move strengthens Colt DCS’ position in the Frankfurt market, which continues to be one of Europe’s leading data centre hubs. Berlin has emerged as a secondary market, driven by Germany’s digital transformation and increasing demand for cloud and AI services.  The new facilities will be designed to Colt DCS’ Global Reference Design (GRD) which can cater for both traditional cloud and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, powering racks up to 130kW. To accommodate this, the design flexibly supports cooling by traditional air, direct liquid-to-chip and hybrid approaches.Each new Colt DCS data centre in Germany will be constructed in line with environmental and sustainability policies using several low embodied carbon principles. This includes the installation of low Global Warming Potential (GWP) cooling chillers, reducing water waste for cooling, and building the structure with minimal steel and concrete usage.  Waste heat from all sites will be reused by the local councils for district heating. A fifth of the site areas will be reserved as green space, and the building roofs will feature a mixture of photovoltaic solar panels and planted vegetation. Gert-Uwe Mende, Lord Mayor of Wiesbaden, says, “Wiesbaden is an attractive business location, and artificial intelligence is an absolutely future-oriented topic. I am therefore very pleased that Colt DCS has chosen the Landeshauptstadt (capital of the state of Hessen) as the site for its new data centre.”Niclas Sanfridsson, CEO of Colt DCS, says, "The continued growth in digital services has created strong demand for hyperscale data centres in Germany. Our acquisitions in Frankfurt and Berlin are a testament to our commitment to Europe’s largest economy. We are proud to contribute to the growth of the local community and remain a trusted partner for our customers worldwide. These new sites will not only enhance our capacity to serve the increasing needs of cloud and AI workloads but also reinforce our dedication to sustainability and innovation in the data centre industry."

STT GDC India launches AI-ready campus in Kolkata, India

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (India) (STT GDC India) is set to revolutionise the data centre landscape in Eastern India with the launch of its state-of-the-art AI-ready campus in New Town, Kolkata, India. Spanning 5.59 acres, this next-generation campus is engineered to support the growing demands of AI computing with high-density rack configurations, advanced cooling systems, and a scalable, modular design. It aligns with the larger economic goals of the country to promote digitally enabled growth and broaden access to sustainable digital infrastructure. The new age data centre facility has earned the prestigious TIA-942 Rated-3 Design certification, underscoring its commitment to world-class infrastructure and reliability. The campus provides a significant boost to digital infrastructure creation in the eastern part of the country with scalable capacity of up to 25MW in terms of overall IT load. It incorporates forward-thinking power architecture with an N+2C design for reliability and a radial N+N configuration for main power incomers, ensuring dedicated feeder availability. The campus utilises TYPE-TESTED Compact Substations and LV DGs, setting new standards in power reliability and efficiency. Bimal Khandelwal, CEO of STT GDC India, says, "This expansion is a gateway to accelerating AI innovation in Eastern India. Our Kolkata campus is specifically designed to support the burgeoning AI ecosystem, from startups developing local language AI models to enterprises deploying large language models. The facility’s high-performance computing capabilities and low-latency connectivity will empower organisations to build and deploy AI solutions that drive digital transformation across sectors”. The facility is built with a concurrently maintainable infrastructure ensuring zero Single Points of Failure (SPOF). It boasts a modular design with flexibility for liquid cooling technologies, supporting the next generation of high-performance computing workloads. The Kolkata data centre prioritises sustainability with a low-PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) cooling design, incorporating water conservation techniques through closed-loop cooling, rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse. The facility also employs low-GWP refrigerants to reduce carbon footprint, reinforcing STT GDC India's commitment to environmental responsibility. Having launched in March 2025, this Kolkata facility expands STT GDC India's nationwide footprint to 30 data centres across 10 cities with a total IT load capacity of 400MW. Its strategic location in New Town’s Silicon Valley positions it as a crucial hub for AI development, serving enterprises, hyperscale cloud service providers and government organisations. This investment aligns with India's growing focus on artificial intelligence and the increasing demand for AI-ready digital infrastructure. The facility will support diverse AI-driven initiatives, from natural language processing in regional languages to computer vision applications in manufacturing and healthcare, ensuring high reliability, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.