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Schneider provides update on sustainability programme

Schneider Electric has announced the latest results of its Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) programme and its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. Recently recognised as the World’s Most Sustainable Company by TIME and Statista, Schneider Electric’s SSI programme monitors and measures the company’s progress across a range of transformative Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets set for 2025. By tracking its sustainability performance and publishing quarterly results, Schneider Electric keeps the momentum for its 11 global and local ambitions and maintains its corporate social responsibility goals. At the end of the quarter, the overall Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact (SSI) score came in at 7.29 out of 10, which is well on track to reach the 2024 end-year target of 7.40, with two major milestones reached: Firstly, Schneider surpassed its goal of providing access to green and reliable energy to 50 million people more than one year before its end-2025 target. This was achieved through projects where Schneider’s solar power solutions were installed on public facilities across Africa and India. For example, in Kenya, Nigeria, and India, new hybrid solar solutions were added to health clinics attended by roughly 2 million people, and in India, over 700 schools were powered by clean energy benefitting around 120,000 students. Schneider is now focused on further ramping up these efforts so that by 2030, cumulatively, 100 million people will have gained access to green electricity since the start of the programme in 2009. Secondly, Schneider also crossed a key threshold in its efforts to foster learning, upskilling, and development for all generations having now trained over 763,000 people in energy management. For example, Schneider Electric and its Foundation recently collaborated with Enactus, enabling university students from 10 countries to develop entrepreneurial solutions that address social issues related to the energy transition. Furthermore, Schneider made considerable strides in halving the carbon impact of its top suppliers through its Zero Carbon Project, resulting in a 36% reduction of its operational CO2 emissions. This was facilitated by several renewable energy workshops held in the USA, Europe, and China, as well as over 20 specialised webinars aimed at supporting suppliers in their decarbonisation endeavours. “Our achievements this quarter showcase the scale of our impact, with local projects playing a pivotal role in achieving our ambitious goals,” says Xavier Denoly, Schneider Electric’s Senior Vice-President of Sustainable Development. “Despite these great results, our work is far from over. We must further intensify our global decarbonisation efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, benefiting people and planet.” Find more details about the results and the latest impactful initiatives in the Q3 2024 report of Schneider’s Sustainability Impact programme, including the progress dashboard: Other key recognitions and awards achieved during the quarter: Recognised as Industry Leader in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment for the third consecutive year Received the RE100 Changemaker Award from the Climate Group at Climate Week NYC, in recognition of a ground-breaking tax credit transfer renewable energy project in Texas (USA) Named as a Leader in Verdantix’s Green Quadrant: Building Decarbonisation Consulting Ranked with the highest Social Benchmark score in its industry by World Benchmarking Alliance, underlining sustained efforts to act ethically and provide and promote decent work and human rights Recognised for the ‘Digital Upskilling for All’ programme by Brandon Hall Group’s prestigious Gold Award for Learning and Development   For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

CEOs adjust net zero timescales and investment, report finds

New research has revealed that CEOs across key European countries are shifting timescales and investment around net zero goals as companies continue to grapple with balancing profitability and sustainability in a volatile energy market. The survey of 400 CEOs in charge of companies with turnover above €200m from across the UK, Germany, France and Italy – commissioned by energy solutions specialist, Aggreko – revealed the majority of respondents (95%) have changed their net zero timescales in light of energy supply and pricing issues. As other pressures face leaders, only 12% of respondents claimed that speed of decarbonisation was their top priority, with most claiming reducing energy costs and delivering commercial advantage were among the top priorities. The research – presented in Aggreko’s latest report, Rebalancing the Energy Transition – has also revealed that intention to invest in energy transitions is still present, with 80% expecting to increase investment in the next 12 months. However as balancing cost and commercial viability with ESG goals continues to pose a challenge, most investment increase will only be marginal. With access to finance being a challenge, Aggreko is raising the need for companies to lean on their supply chains to help meet the requirements of the energy transition in the timescales needed – all while balancing profitability with ESG goals. The company has launched this latest report to give leaders insights for navigating the energy transition into the future. Robert Wells, Aggreko’s Europe President, says, “It is not surprising that our research has uncovered leaders across Europe are looking for change when it comes to their energy supply chain. In a tough economic landscape, grid instability and connection delays, price uncertainty and looming ESG targets are impacting many businesses’ energy transitions. “With appetite for decentralisation and alternative power agreements on the rise, we have launched our report to help leaders understand the market and how it is evolving, in addition to the procurement methods at their disposal. Key to this is providing access to solutions that ensure that high energy using industries can remain profitable during their energy transition without compromising on ESG commitments.” Supporting energy intensive businesses across Europe with access to the latest renewable technologies, alternative procurement agreements and expertise to correctly implement it is central to Aggreko’s sustainability framework, Energising Change. In addition to guiding its own energy transition, the framework is designed to support the transition to a renewable energy infrastructure while at the same time enabling sectors such as manufacturing, construction data centres, utilities and infrastructure and petrochemical refineries to meet net zero goals. Robert adds, “We are a strategic supply chain partner to organisations across Europe. Working closely with many customers from energy intensive industries, we have already been working to develop renewable energy developments, establish alternative power agreements and make technologies available for projects imminently. Particularly when capital is at a premium, supporting customers with controlling costs and energy supply will remain a key part of ensuring a smooth energy transition.” For more information and to read Rebalancing the Energy Transition, click here. For more from Aggreko, click here.

Pure Storage modernises IT infrastructure for AC Milan

Pure Storage, an IT expert that delivers advanced data storage technologies and services, has announced the modernisation of the IT infrastructure of AC Milan, one of the world’s most historic football clubs. The club recognised the potential of technology to help it achieve two strategic goals – delivering the best fan experience possible through online content, and providing the team with data and AI to enhance club performance. At the centre of AC Milan’s fan engagement is its Media House, through which video and social content is produced and delivered. It also supplies critical data to the club’s training centre. The total number of employees and output has risen at the Media House over a three-year period and, as a result, unstructured data volumes had also dramatically increased. Siloed teams, together with a legacy data storage system that was incapable of operating efficiently, posed significant barriers to progress. By adopting the Pure Storage platform, AC Milan gained a powerful, efficient, and secure storage infrastructure that has underpinned its technology transformation initiative. Benefits include: • Fast and Reliable, Low Latency Data Storage: With the Pure Storage Platform, AC Milan can now manage large volumes of unstructured data across multiple sites with very low latency, resulting in major productivity improvements. The Media House team now benefits from 10 times faster content production and delivery. This has helped AC Milan reach over 500 million global fans through enhanced digital experiences.• Enhanced Data Security and Ransomware Protection: AC Milan recognises the importance of data resilience, deploying Pure Storage ActiveDR to achieve near zero Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) metrics. Additionally, Pure Storage SafeMode Snapshots take copies of data which, in the event of a cyber attack, can’t be deleted, modified, or encrypted, mitigating the impact of a ransomware attack.• A Platform for Cutting-Edge AI Innovation: Video footage of training sessions, stored on the Pure Storage Platform, can be analysed using AI, together with player data captured via sensors with the aim of improving performance. Additionally, AC Milan is developing a data lake composed of players’ medical and performance data with the same goal. Maurizio Bonomi, Information Technology Director, AC Milan, says, “Our team’s mission is to support the club and the business across all departments so that we’re achieving excellence on and off the pitch. Pure helped AC Milan modernise our Media House so that content can be delivered across multiple platforms in one-tenth of the time that it used to take. The project has been a great success and has marked a new step in our ongoing evolution into a media company.” Joao Silva, VP EMEA & Latin America, Pure Storage, adds, “We’re thrilled to support AC Milan in its mission to transform the way it connects with fans, and its highly innovative use of AI to improve all-round player performance. The club’s legacy storage couldn’t keep up with its modern, innovative data demands. AC Milan’s Pure Storage platform meets their complex needs. These are cutting-edge initiatives that showcase how the delivery of real time content and AI can benefit football clubs and the welfare of their players.” For more from Pure Storage, click here.

Bain Capital and Aquila to build sustainable data centre platform

Bain Capital, a private, multi-asset alternative investment firm, and Aquila Group, a private investment company and pioneer in sustainable assets, have announced a significant partnership in the data centre sector. As part of the cooperation, Bain Capital is acquiring an 80% stake in AQ Compute, the data centre subsidiary of Aquila Group. This strategic alliance, with a targeted multi-billion Euro investment volume, is aimed at significantly accelerating AQ Compute’s plans to develop and operate sustainable data centres for hyperscale and AI customers across Europe. Founded by Aquila Group in 2020, AQ Compute provides modular and AI-ready data centre and colocation services, primarily powered by clean energy. With significant investment, the company launched its first sustainable data centre near Oslo in 2024, with additional projects underway in Barcelona, Milan and beyond. Bain Capital supports this growth through its capital investment and global expertise in the data centre industry, including its successful development of Bridge Data Centres in Asia. Together, the partners aim to build a leading European data centre platform, utilising clean energy wherever feasible. Ali Haroon, a Partner at Bain Capital, says, “The European data centre sector presents an attractive market opportunity, driven by robust cloud demand, a need for high-performance computing and AI deployments, and data sovereignty across the region. Through this partnership with Aquila Group, we bring a differentiated, renewable energy angle to tackle the ever-growing power challenges in this critical part of Europe’s infrastructure.” Rafael Coste Campos, a Managing Director at Bain Capital, adds, “We are thrilled to bring our deep European real estate sector expertise and our multi-layered experience growing companies with complex infrastructure services, tenant relationships and talent attraction to AQ Compute. Leveraging our global data centre expertise, we are well-positioned to meet the needs of this ever growing and critically important sector and to build a market leading data centre operation in Europe.” Michael Huber, a Principal at Bain Capital, notes, “Having invested more than $1 billion in real estate over the past three years, Bain Capital’s first European investment in data centres means we now have a truly global platform. This investment will benefit from and complement our experience investing in and building one of the largest data centres in Asia – Chindata and backing DC BLOX in the US.” Roman Rosslenbroich, Co-Founder and CEO of Aquila Group, comments, “Through our partnership with Bain Capital, we are well positioned to expand AQ Compute’s capabilities and solidify its role as a key player in Europe’s digital infrastructure. The rapid growth in data demands presents both a challenge and an opportunity - while more data centres are essential, they must be sustainable. Aquila will invest several hundred-million Euros alongside Bain Capital’s larger commitment, with Aquila Capital providing co-investments. With our continued 20% stake, we will ensure AQ Compute’s growth aligns with our long-term vision for sustainable infrastructure, leveraging synergies with Aquila Clean Energy, a major developer and independent power producer in the clean energy space.“ Markus Holzer, Chairman of AQ Compute, concludes, “At AQ Compute, we are uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for data processing by combining innovative, AI-ready infrastructure with a commitment to sustainability. This partnership with Bain Capital not only accelerates our development pipeline but also allows us to set new standards in sustainable data centre operations across Europe.” For more from Bain Capital, click here.

iMasons appoints Mike Meyer to Advisory Council

Infrastructure Masons (iMasons), a global, non-profit, digital infrastructure professional association connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all, has appointed Mike Meyer, Managing Director of Portman Partners - the expert executive search business for data centre people - to its Advisory Council. The iMasons Advisory Council is a leadership committee comprised of industry specialists who design, manage and operate some of the largest and most progressive digital infrastructure portfolios in the world. The purpose of the Council is to help foster growth within the iMasons Global Community across its four strategic priorities: to enhance education opportunities; champion diversity and inclusion; inspire sustainability; and promote innovative and technical excellence. Upon his appointment, Mike will be representing Portman Partners across all of iMasons’ regional councils, sharing his knowledge and experience to help address global industry issues including the challenges surrounding attracting and retaining the talent required to grow the industry, providing input and advice on strategies tailored to the dynamics of the given region. Santiago Suinaga, iMasons CEO, says, “Having worked within the data centre and digital infrastructure space for more than 25 years, Mike’s expertise will prove invaluable. The work that he and his team do places them in a unique position with access to people and insights across the industry, putting Mike close to the strategic priorities that our Advisory Council is here to support.” Mike adds, “Joining the Council is a great step forward for Portman. I am delighted at the opportunity to be a part of such a diverse and dedicated group of professionals committed to bringing their knowledge, experience and passion to the table. This appointment serves to reinforce the dedication and commitment of everyone at Portman and all those already giving their time and energy on the Council, supporting the future of our industry.” For more from iMasons, click here.

Contingency cooling for Birmingham hospital data centre

ICS Cool Energy, a specialist temperature control solutions company, has delivered a comfort and process temperature control solution for a major hospital in Birmingham. The hospital required an additional 80 kW of cooling capacity for comfort cooling in one of its patient wards, as well as a contingency cooling system for its data centre, which houses sensitive patient and operational data. Both systems were provided as long-term hires, with ICS Cool Energy’s i-Chillers serving as the backbone of these temperature control applications. The hospital approached ICS Cool Energy with two key cooling needs. Firstly, it required a reliable and cost-effective system to deliver air-conditioning for patients’ comfort. Secondly, and more critically, it needed an on-site contingency cooling solution for its data centre. Previously, the hospital relied on external providers. No on-site contingency system meant that in the event of a failure, it had to call in to deliver and install backup equipment. This reactive approach posed a significant risk, as every minute is critical when it comes to data centre cooling. Any delay in restoring cooling could lead to irreversible data loss. Following a comprehensive site assessment and analysis of the hospital’s requirements, ICS Cool Energy’s sales engineers proposed a solution to meet both needs: 1. A process-grade 80 kW i-Chiller to provide comfort cooling for the patient ward. This system was delivered under a rolling 12-month hire agreement, offering the hospital long-term flexibility without capital expenditure. The chiller ensures stable and reliable temperature control, creating a comfortable environment for both patients and staff. 2. To safeguard the hospital’s data centre, ICS Cool Energy installed a 160 kW i-Chiller alongside multiple internal air handling units. This backup system is always on standby and ready to take over should the primary cooling system fail. With this contingency solution in place, the hospital no longer has to rely on external emergency cooling support, significantly reducing the risk of data loss. Grant Spittle, Sales Engineer, ICS Cool Energy, comments, “Had the hospital maintained its previous arrangement of calling in external help during a failure, the data centre could have been severely compromised. Without backup equipment on-site, any failure in the regular cooling system could have resulted in the loss of vital patient and operational data. The new system minimises this risk and ensures continuity and data protection.” The hospital now benefits from two reliable air-conditioning and cooling systems on long-term hire. The i-Chillers provide consistent comfort cooling in the patient ward, contributing to overall patient well-being. Meanwhile, the contingency cooling system helps keeping the hospital’s data centre operating and critical data protected. The on-site backup is ready for immediate activation in the event of a failure, preventing potential data loss and avoiding severe financial and operational consequences. This project highlights ICS Cool Energy’s expertise in delivering efficient, reliable, and cost-effective solutions that give customers peace of mind and operational flexibility. For more from ICS Cool Energy, click here.

DigitalBridge to Acquire Yondr Group

DigitalBridge Group, a global alternative asset manager dedicated to investing in digital infrastructure, today announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Yondr Group, a global developer and operator of hyperscale data centres, through one of its managed investment funds. Yondr has established itself as a key player in the digital infrastructure sector, addressing the complex data centre capacity demands of the world's largest technology companies through the development and operation of sustainable data centres worldwide. With a diverse portfolio of campuses, Yondr is well-positioned to meet the soaring demand for advanced data processing capabilities driven by ongoing digital transformation, the shift to cloud solutions, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The company has more than 420MW of capacity committed to hyperscalers, with significant additional land to support a total potential capacity of over 1GW. The DigitalBridge Fund’s strategic investment will drive the development of cutting-edge, sustainable data centres, backed by long-term, stable revenue streams from investment-grade clients. "Yondr’s assets and strong relationships with leading hyperscale clients align with DigitalBridge’s vision to support the future of digital infrastructure," says Jon Mauck, Senior Managing Director at DigitalBridge. "Yondr enhances our existing data centre portfolio and strengthens our ability to support hyperscalers. Together, we are well-positioned to capitalise on the increasing demand for hyperscale data centres – fuelled by AI, cloud computing, and the ongoing digital transformation across industries." Yondr will continue to operate as an independent company within DigitalBridge’s portfolio, leveraging DigitalBridge’s support, expertise and experience. This partnership will enhance Yondr’s ability to serve its clients more effectively while accelerating global expansion efforts. The deal is expected to close in early 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. For more from Yondr Group, click here.

ODATA and Casa dos Ventos to drive sustainable growth

ODATA, an Aligned Data Centers company and provider of data centre services for Latin America, and Casa dos Ventos, one of the pioneers in the development of Brazilian wind projects and a key player in Brazil's energy transition, have announced a long-term contract for the supply of renewable energy through ODATA’s participation in the Babilônia Sul wind complex in Várzea Nova, Bahia. The partnership is part of ODATA's strategy for sustainable growth as it continues to rapidly expand its data centre infrastructure in Latin America. The company currently has five data centres in Brazil, four in Mexico, two in Chile, and one in Colombia in operation and under construction. With additional data centres and campuses under development, ODATA is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for hyperscale data centre solutions in the region. According to Ricardo Alário, CEO of ODATA, the country’s vast renewable energy potential can provide a reliable and sustainable supply for data centres, positioning Brazil as a competitive and attractive location for global tech companies. “We're the first to power our Brazilian data centres entirely with renewable energy from generation plants in which we hold a stake,” says Ricardo. “This partnership with Casa dos Ventos further solidifies our commitment to sustainability and the use of renewable energy across our operations.” “Brazil is very well positioned to meet the expansion of the data centre industry. We have an abundant supply of cost-competitive renewable energy globally, as well as a clean energy matrix, and the capability to quickly connect loads for new data centres - which other regions lack,” says Lucas Araripe, Executive Director of Casa dos Ventos. Reliable energy is essential for data centres, as it ensures the resilience of their infrastructure. Operating continuously, 24 hours a day, data centres require a consistent and renewable energy supply to meet both operational and sustainability goals. “Casa dos Ventos has tailored energy solutions and its portfolio of renewable assets and structured products to meet the needs and requirements of data centres,” explains Lucas. Ricardo adds, “As artificial intelligence continues to advance and its applications expand, the demand for energy to support these innovations is also on the rise. Having a large volume of clean energy generation positions Brazil as a major hub for the development of data centres specialised in supporting AI and its applications.” With 80 wind turbines and a total capacity of 360 MW, the Babilônia Sul wind complex received an investment of approximately 1.8 billion reais and provides energy to major industries. The complex is helping to avoid the emission of approximately 720,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, based on the average emissions of the global electricity sector (IRENA) - the equivalent to planting about four million trees. The supply of wind energy from the complex to ODATA’s Brazilian data centres is expected to begin after the completion of certain usual precedent conditions. For more from Advanced Data Centers, click here.

Schneider Electric announces circular economy UPS offer

Schneider Electric has announced the results of an industry-first, circular economy initiative for its range of APC Smart-UPS uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). First trialled in France in 2024 via a pioneering reduce, reuse and recycle programme, delivered in partnership with distributor Ingram Micro, Schneider Electric sought to increase the sustainability and circularity of its industrialised single-phase UPS solutions, while meeting customers’ demands for sustainable, responsible systems. The new solutions enable Schneider Electric’s French partners to address the competitive and fast-growing market for circular IT equipment - helping customers to reduce CO2 emissions associated with their critical systems, and with zero impact on the UPS’ operational performance, resiliency, or energy efficiency. With several high-profile French customers now utilising Schneider Electric’s circular UPS, including CGR Cinemas – one of Frances’ most notable leaders in the film industry – circular economy projects will also be extended to support partners and customers in key countries across Europe, including the UK and Ireland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany (DACH). Further, with take-back services delivered with Schneider Electric's partner ecosystem in France, coupled with replacement, recycling and rigorous testing processes via Schneider Electric’s local repair centre, the new solutions form part of a complete circular economy offer to serve the French channel and end-user markets. They allow customers to utilise circular, responsible power protection products with the same level of quality and warranty as Schneider Electric standard UPS, while being less CO² emissive. “When we first set out to establish our circular UPS offer, our ambition was to ensure that there was no compromise on the efficiency, resilience and the sustainability of our industrial processes, and to create sustainable solutions that deliver the same level of quality and reliability our customers expect,” says Geoffrey Richard, Schneider Electric’s Circular Economy Director, France. “Through these new UPS’, our partners can meet customer demands for sustainable solutions safe in the knowledge that they are making a significant contribution to environmental sustainability, and that their customers will benefit from the same warranty as standard Schneider Electric Smart-UPS models.” “As one of the largest distributors in Europe, Ingram Micro is on a mission to help our partners and their customers run better, grow faster, and become more mindful of the impacts their actions have on people and our planet,” adds Sandrine Vigor, Sustainability Manager at Ingram Micro, France. “We’re delighted to have partnered with Schneider Electric to bring this industry-first initiative to life, and one which aligns so closely with the values of our IngramMicroESG programme perfectly - supporting our ambitions to help businesses become more sustainable, globally.” Serving the market for second life IT Research published by Canalys in 2024 found that 50% of partners expect to generate revenue from sustainability solutions this year, and that a further 92% of customers are seeking guidance from partners around sustainable product procurement processes, including circular IT systems. Schneider Electric’s new circular UPS offer not only support partners’ ambitions to capture growth opportunities associated with sustainable products but enables them to act as trusted partner for take-back, recycle and replacement services, while meeting local environmental and regulatory requirements such as the European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), Paris agreement, and the United Nations (UN) climate objectives. According to the Circularity Gap report 2023, a transition to a global circular economy will allow us to fulfil people's needs with only 70% of the materials we now extract and use – moving human activity back within the safe limits of the planet. Schneider Electric’s own research showed that products from the circular economy can reduce CO2 emissions by an average of 35% compared to first-time manufacturing – a transformation which involves profound supply chain changes to recover products and equipment for reconditioning, repair or remove spare parts to repair others. From an environmental standpoint, Schneider Electric’s new circular UPS offer requires key processes which include taking back the end-of-life UPS, detailed diagnosis and testing, dismantling and refurbishment of all single critical parts and end of use components such as batteries, switches and LEDs, reassembly, and rigorous testing – all prior to repackaging and resale, with the same alignment on applicable standards, quality and warranty as a brand-new UPS. Further, as the UPS solutions require less primary extraction of raw materials, and a reduction of potentially harsh or hazardous substances, customers are also more resilient against fluctuations in the pricing and availability of raw materials, and importantly, can ensure that embodied CO² or Scope 3 emissions associated with the production process are far lower than that of a standard system. Delivering circular solution for CGR Group One high-profile adopter of Schneider Electric’s circular UPS solutions is The CGR Cinemas group, which operates 713 movie theatres across France. CGR is well-known as a major player in the French film industry, leading for several decades and is the second largest operator of cinemas in the region. A key part of its strategy is to create places where emotions, exchanges and experiences are lived and reinvented without respite, and it has developed a park of 45 premium ICE rooms in its cinemas, including the deployment of 4K laser projectors within its theatres and new comfort rooms for an ever more qualitative experience. Protecting its critical systems from power failures is vital to the customer experience, so it chose Schneider Electric’s new circular UPS offer not only for the quality of its innovative products, but because the company’s commitments to creating environmentally friendly technologies met CGR’s requirements for energy efficiency and sustainability. By using Schneider Electric’s circular Smart-UPS, CGR Cinemas will save 11T600 (11,600 tonnes) of CO² emissions, while safeguarding their critical equipment. Michael Cron, Logistics and Purchasing Director, CGR Group, notes, "Schneider Electric’s choice was natural, as their commitment to environmentally friendly products is in perfect harmony with our values of sustainability. Their innovative and eco-friendly approach, while meeting our high-performance requirements, is fully in line with our ambitions for environmental responsibility and efficiency. This choice, both technical and economic, can only be realised and sustained through common interaction and collaboration." For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Report finds gaps in UK data centre decarbonisation strategy

A significant 85% of UK data centre businesses report confidence in the cost-effectiveness, reliability, and environmental sustainability of their energy strategies, according to research conducted by True, powered by Open Energy Market. The findings, detailed in a new white paper, Mind The Gap: From Ambition To Action, explore the commercial imperatives driving energy procurement and sustainability strategies among UK businesses. While many organisations report high confidence in their current strategies, underlying challenges threaten to undermine these efforts, exposing a risky 'set and forget' mentality that could have significant implications for hindering commercial benefits as well as the future of the UK’s sustainability efforts. Almost all UK data centre businesses (89%) believe they are prepared to tackle challenges such as energy market volatility and tighter environmental regulations within the next 12 months. Despite this reported confidence, there is a concern that businesses may be overestimating their readiness, leading to complacency and missed opportunities for optimisation. For example, this overconfidence is contrasted by the 31% of data centre businesses reporting integration of new data-led technologies within existing systems is a significant hurdle. Brand reputation and public image has also been identified as a key concern by four in ten (41%) data centre businesses, which is much higher than the overall national average (27%) for UK businesses. Chris Maclean, CEO, True, powered by Open Energy Market, comments, “This shouldn’t be about competing priorities; it’s about recognising that sustainability can drive commercial benefits. As part of a high-visibility, energy-intensive industry, data centre businesses need to shift their perspective to see sustainability as a pathway to commercial gain, or they risk losing competitive advantage, missing out on big tech or corporate tenders and falling behind in an evolving market landscape where sustainability is increasingly tied to business success”. Plus, data centre businesses report common challenges for implementing sustainable energy practices. These include limited availability of renewable energy sources (29%), financial constraints (25.5%), followed by extended timelines for approval and decision-making processes and operating in silos with fragmented net zero plans (23.5%). These obstacles underscore the need for streamlined processes and better access to expertise to drive effective sustainability initiatives that enhance commercial performance. The introduction of new technology to monitor and improve energy usage is a prominent strategy, adopted by 43% of data centre organisations. However, from a strategic standpoint, the survey reveals a complex landscape of decision-making authority over sustainable energy strategies. The data centre industry is in a unique position compared to the rest of the sectors surveyed (food and drink, manufacturing, and hospitality), where Heads of Sustainability edge out CFOs as the final sign-off authority (41% percent versus 13%). Still, almost half of data centre organisations (45%) report a four-to-six month timeline for signing off energy and sustainability projects, with 23% taking seven-to-nine months. Lengthy approval processes may hinder timely implementation of crucial initiatives. Moreover, the research reveals limited evaluation methods for sustainable energy transition action plans. Only 17% of data centre organisations track and analyse energy consumption data, and similarly few review compliance with environmental regulations (17.6%) or compare performance against industry standards (15.6%). True provides a comprehensive solution to these challenges. By unifying energy procurement and net zero strategies in one platform, True empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions and build stronger financial grade business cases for their sustainability initiatives. Chris adds, “There is a startling paradox within UK data centre businesses: high confidence in energy strategies coexists with significant gaps that need urgent attention. While many feel prepared for market challenges, the reality is that navigating the complexities of the energy landscape requires more than just confidence and ambition – it requires action. “Businesses need to actively engage with specialists and adopt robust evaluation methods to optimise their energy and sustainability strategies effectively. By taking these steps, companies can not only address the gaps but carve a commercially competitive path to net zero, ensuring they are resilient, compliant, and truly sustainable in the long term.”