Europa-Kommissionen har udarbejdet et udkast til en ny digital strategi for Unionen. Den påpeger blandt andet, at datacenter- og telekommunikationsbranchen har et betydeligt miljøaftryk og at begge brancher »kan og bør blive CO2-neutrale inden 2030«.
"Digital solutions, and data in particular, will require a fully integrated life cycle strategy, from the design phase and the procurement and use of energy and raw materials to a focus on the life span of end products. For example, by tracking when and where electricity is most needed and energy efficiency can increase, the use of fossil fuels can be reduced," according to the Commission's proposal for a future digital strategy.
Data centres account for a large proportion of energy consumption and emissions
The European Commission points out that the ICT sector currently accounts for between 5 and 9 per cent of the world's total electricity consumption and more than 2 per cent of all emissions – and data centres are by far the biggest energy consumers. Furthermore, data centres' share of global electricity consumption is predicted to increase to nearly 8 per cent by 2030. At the same time, research from HPE shows that only about 6 per cent of all data ever created is used today. In other words, there are many aspects to work on.
Despite the fact that the industry has actually increased its focus on renewable energy sources, the rapidly growing flow of media, the use of AI and various cloud-based services that require large amounts of data are likely to increase the amount of fossil fuels needed to keep everything running. Therefore, further measures are needed to slow down this negative development.
A greener direction for the IT industry
In the draft, the Commission points to a number of concrete measures that will drive the IT industry in a greener direction.
‘It is clear that the IT sector must undergo its own green transformation. The sector's environmental footprint is significant, and data centres and telecom operators will need to become more energy efficient, reuse surplus energy and use more renewable energy sources.’
The European Commission also states, without going into detail, that it will establish ‘initiatives to achieve climate-neutral, highly energy-efficient and sustainable data centres by 2030, as well as transparency measures for the environmental footprint of telecom operators.’
In addition, the EU plans to launch a comprehensive antitrust investigation and take action against global internet giants later this year, ‘with a strong focus on these new growth markets that are shaping our economies and societies,’ pointing out that forward-looking regulations may be needed where online platforms have become ‘major private gatekeepers and rule-makers.’ The European Commission will therefore also review and consider updating its competition rules to capture all anti-competitive behaviour in the digital economy.
