Towards planet-proof computing: data centre sustainability at a crossroads

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union invites you to a roundtable discussion on the sustainability of data centres and the role of EU policy.

Data centres power our digital world. As digitalisation and the uptake of artificial intelligence (AI) increase, so does the demand for energy, water and hardware for data centres in Europe. This surge in energy use is raising concerns about efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Major technology companies are calling for access to nuclear power to meet their energy needs. In Ireland, data centres already use a fifth of the country’s electricity, leading the Irish government to halt new data centre developments until 2028. Thirsty data centres use large amounts of water to cool the hardware, which can be at the expense of local community water supplies, as has been reported in Belgium and Spain.

Renewable energy growth is struggling to keep up with demand, highlighting the urgent need for binding climate policies to align digital expansion with sustainability goals. This raises the question of how realistic the Commission’s soft policy goal of achieving ‘climate-neutral, highly energy-efficient and sustainable data centres by no later than 2030’ really is. Join us for a discussion with leading experts as we delve into the EU’s legislative approach to data centre sustainability and examine the environmental impact of this ever-growing sector.

Together with voices from civil society, academia and politics, we want to explore ways to build a more sustainable digital future, with the following questions in mind:

• How can we increase transparency about the true ecological footprint of data centres?
• How can we debunk common myths around data centres?
• Can data centres be run in a sustainable and climate-friendly way?
• How will their rapid expansion affect the EU’s climate and sustainability goals?
• How can civil society, academia and policymakers reconcile infrastructure growth with environmental responsibility?

Speakers:

• Prof. Kristina Irion, Associate Professor at the Institute for Information Law (IViR) at the University of Amsterdam
• Jessica Commins, Junior Lecturer in Law at the College of Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics at the University of Amsterdam
• Prof. Hannah Daly, University College Cork, author of ‘Data centres in the context of Ireland's carbon budgets’
• Manuel Mateo Goyet, Acting Head of Unit – Cloud and Software, European Commission (tbc)

Moderated by Zora Siebert, Head of Programme, EU Democracy & Digital Policy, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union

Programme:

10:00 – 10:30 Welcome by Zora Siebert and introductions

10:30 – 10:45 Input ‘Towards Planet Proof Computing: Law and Policy of Data Centre Sustainability in the European Union’, Prof. Kristina Irion & Jessica Commins

10:45 – 11:00 Input ‘Data Centres in the Context of Ireland’s Carbon Budgets’, Prof. Hannah Daly

11:00 – 11:15 Response by Manuel Mateo Goyet

11:15 – 12:15 Open discussion

12:15 – 13:00 Networking lunch

The discussion will open with impulse statements, setting the stage for our exchange of ideas.

We look forward to having you with us! You are welcome to forward this invitation to potentially interested people.

Please register here before Monday 19 may 2025.

For any questions, please contact Zora Siebert | Zora.Siebert@eu.boell.org