UK Letter Writers Urge Datacentres to Go Net Zero, Charge Digital Messages to Cut 16,000 Tonnes
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 31
UK Letter Writers Urge Datacentres to Go Net Zero, Charge Digital Messages to Cut 16,000 Tonnes
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 31
Summary
Letter writers responding to UK datacentre plans proposed forcing each facility to generate its own power and cut CO2 emissions to zero rather than shifting electricity and climate costs onto the public.
Their case rests on the scale of the problem: future datacentres could demand more electricity than the entire UK, while two planned sites were previously reported to have carbon emissions higher than ExxonMobil's.
The proposals include covering roofs and car parks with solar panels, adding wind generation, battery storage and emissions scrubbers, with one writer arguing any technical difficulty should be borne by the companies.
Another writer widened the focus to demand, noting datacentres also consume large amounts of water during drought and citing research that one fewer thank-you email per person each day could save more than 16,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
That led to a broader suggestion for small government charges on digital communications to discourage junk data, framing datacentre growth as both an industry and consumer responsibility.