Greening the data centres - how far will environmental regulation go?

In the sobering wake of the Stern report, the rallying cry came from the very top. The Prime Minister himself went public with his fears, labelling the findings both ‘overwhelming’ and ‘disastrous.’

The seven hundred page document spells out the consequences of carbon emissions upon the ailing environment: floods from rising sea levels are set to potentially displace up to 100 million people as 1 in 6 people will become a climate refugee. Wildlife will be severely affected as up to 40% of species are facing extinction.

Oh, and the global economy could shrink by at least 20%!

The more cynical amongst us may speculate that the latter point has proved to be the catalyst for the recent legislative onslaught in the name of Mother Nature.

But it’s here to stay: environmental regulation is a reality and it will certainly increase over the next 20 years.

Sir Nicholas Stern didn’t pull his punches as he pointed the finger of blame firmly at the industry and power sectors, who, according to his report, are responsible for 38% of the carbon suffocating the planet.

With a power requirement of anything up to fifty times that of equivalent office work space, data centre operators and owners should be well aware that this wave of regulation and legislation is likely to have a disproportionate impact upon them.