GreenScale sets data centre sustainability commitments

Author: Joe Peck

GreenScale, a developer of hyperscale data centre campuses, has published 12 sustainability commitments that will guide the development and long-term operation of its data centre campuses.

The commitments conclude a 12-week campaign that began on Earth Day 2026, with one commitment announced each week. Together, they set measurable targets covering areas including renewable energy, embodied carbon, water stewardship, local communities, and responsible supply chains.

GreenScale says it will report publicly on progress against each commitment as its developments move forward.

Among the commitments are designing all data centres to enable heat export whilst seeking opportunities to reuse waste heat, operating backup generators using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel, targeting a water usage effectiveness (WUE) score of 0.4 or below, and requiring major design and construction suppliers to achieve an EcoVadis rating of “Good” or higher.

Campus designed around renewable power

GreenScale says its sustainability strategy is linked to developing data centre campuses in locations with renewable energy resources and resilient connectivity.

The company points to its planned Tonstad Campus in southern Norway as an example of this approach. New visualisations show the proposed 300MW campus, which is planned to comprise four data centre buildings across a 420,000m² site, representing more than €2.5 billion (£2.1 billion) in planned investment.

Located next to the Ertsmyra substation and supplied by electricity from the nearby Tonstad Power Plant, one of Norway’s largest hydropower facilities by annual electricity generation, the campus has been selected to take advantage of the region’s renewable energy resources.

Anna Dowson, Senior Director of Sustainability at GreenScale, says, “These commitments reflect the areas where we believe GreenScale can make the greatest positive impact.

“By setting clear, measurable targets from the outset, we’re creating a transparent way to track our progress over time and hold ourselves accountable as our campuses move through development and into operation.”

Dan Thomas, CEO of GreenScale, adds, “Data centre campuses are long-term infrastructure assets that will operate for decades. The decisions made before construction begin influence their performance throughout their lifetime.

“That’s why we’ve embedded sustainability into every stage of our approach, from selecting the right locations to designing, building, and operating our campuses. These commitments provide the framework that will guide that journey.”

GreenScale says the commitments were developed following a materiality assessment aligned with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).