FOR POLICY MAKERS

The rapid expansion of data centres, while essential for driving the ongoing digital transformation, demands careful regulation to mitigate its impact on critical infrastructure and the environment. These facilities use significant amounts of energy, water, land, and resources, while also producing substantial GHG emissions and e-waste. Left unchecked, the exponential growth of the industry risks overburdening power and water systems, leading to potential blackouts, water shortages, and other disruptions that could adversely affect local communities. Moreover, this strain complicates the efforts of public entities to achieve ambitious environmental and climate goals, making it imperative to adopt a balanced approach that fosters technological progress while safeguarding ecological sustainability and societal well-being.

By eliminating traditional air conditioning, using exclusively renewable energy, minimizing water and energy use, recycling all of the heat generated as a byproduct by its electrical components to heat up 6000 homes in Geneva, extending the lifespan of its servers, all while having limited impact on the landscape, Infomaniak’s new data centre D4 stands as one of the most energy efficient and sustainable data centres in the world.

These figures underscore the potential of innovative designs like D4 to drive sector-wide improvements, align with climate goals, and redefine the role of data centres in a sustainable digital future. However, realizing this potential across the industry requires not only technological advancements but also the establishment of robust and cohesive regulatory frameworks to ensure these innovations are widely adopted.

The EU has already developed and implemented a regulatory strategy regarding the energy efficiency and sustainability of its data centres with both mandatory measures, such as those imposed through the EED, which imposes the reporting of key information and the implementation of heat recovery systems, and voluntary measures, such as the European Code of Conduct for Data Centres, which promote best practices. By contrast, Switzerland lacks a cohesive federal framework targeting the energy efficiency and sustainability of its data centres. Regulatory responsibilities are instead distributed across cantonal building regulations, such as the Regulation on the Energy Use of Buildings in Vaud, leading to a fragmented approach that may fail to adequately address the environmental impact of the sector.

To address these challenges, the report recommends a multi-faceted approach aimed at harmonizing regulation, fostering innovation, and ensuring accountability.

• Mandatory Sustainability Standards: These standards should encompass ambitious targets for energy efficiency, heat recovery, renewable energy integration and water consumption. They can ensure that all new data centres meet rigorous environmental benchmarks if applied uniformly across the EU and Switzerland.
• Urban Planning Policies: We must prioritize the strategic placement of data centres, integrating them into district heating systems to maximize their resource efficiency and minimize their environmental impact. Subsidies could be redirected to data centres to make them more sustainable.
• Reporting and Benchmarking Framework: Reporting is essential to promote transparency and continuous improvement. Standardized metrics such as PUE and ERF, coupled with independent audits, can drive accountability and highlight best practices across the industry. These measures not only foster industry-wide progress but also align data centre operations with broader climate objectives.

By implementing these recommendations, policymakers and industry leaders can create a regulatory and operational environment that transforms data centres into pillars of sustainable digital infrastructure. The opportunity is clear: the industry has the tools and knowledge to drive innovation while addressing its environmental impact. Now is the time to act decisively and collaboratively to ensure that data centres, as the backbone of the digital era, support a future that is both technologically advanced and ecologically responsible.