According to estimates, the CO₂ emissions of data centers can account for around 1-2% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. An exact estimation of the average CO₂ emissions of a data center is harder to calculate because it depends on various factors, such as the size of the data center, its location, the technologies it employs, and the way it is managed.
To get a good picture of the CO₂ emissions, it is important to look at the total energy consumption of a data center, including the way it generates energy. More and more data centers are becoming (environmentally) more efficient thanks to a mix of different sustainable energy sources. For example, if a data center runs entirely on renewable energy sources like solar or wind power, the CO₂ emissions will be significantly lower than when the data center still operates on fossil fuels.
At LCL Data Centers, sustainability is in our DNA. We make great efforts to take our energy into our own hands. In early 2021, our ideas contributed to the foundation of the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact to support the European Green Deal, and in 2022, we became the first Belgian data center company to join the SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative). With this commitment, we aim for real impact, based on scientific insights.