SustainZone | Sustainability Insights | October 2026
Artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services are transforming how businesses and communities operate. Behind this transformation sits an expanding network of data centres — large facilities that store, process and distribute digital information.
But as demand for data centres increases, an important environmental question is emerging: What is the environmental impact of data centres, particularly when they are developed in the UK countryside?
New developments require considerable electricity, construction materials, cooling infrastructure and land. When built near rural communities, they can also raise concerns about noise, air quality, water consumption and biodiversity.
Hertfordshire provides a useful example of this challenge, with major data centre developments proposed in locations such as South Mimms and Abbots Langley.
Understanding these impacts is essential to ensuring that digital infrastructure growth aligns with the UK’s environmental and net zero ambitions.
What Are Data Centres and Why Are They Expanding?
A data centre is a specialised facility containing servers, storage systems and networking equipment. These systems support websites, financial services, healthcare applications, cloud platforms and artificial intelligence.
Data centres also require supporting infrastructure, including:
- High-capacity electricity connections and distribution equipment.
- Cooling systems to prevent servers from overheating.
- Backup generators and battery systems to maintain reliability.
- Security, telecommunications and associated infrastructure.
The rapid expansion of AI is increasing demand for facilities that can accommodate high-density computing equipment.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data centres consumed approximately 415 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024, representing around 1.5% of worldwide electricity consumption.
The IEA’s 2025 base-case projection estimates that this could rise to approximately 945 TWh by 2030.
As digital infrastructure expands, the environmental challenge is not simply how much computing capacity is created, but how efficiently and sustainably it is delivered.
1. Carbon Emissions: The Hidden Environmental Cost of Data Centres
The environmental impact of data centres extends beyond the electricity needed to run servers.
Their carbon footprint includes emissions generated during construction, operation, maintenance and eventual decommissioning.
These impacts can be understood through three greenhouse gas reporting categories.
Scope 1: Direct emissions
Direct emissions can arise from diesel backup generators, other on-site combustion equipment and refrigerant leakage.
Backup generators generally operate during emergencies and scheduled testing rather than continuously. Their emissions and local impacts depend on the facility’s design and operating conditions.
Scope 2: Electricity-related emissions
Data centres depend on electricity for computing, cooling and supporting equipment.
The carbon impact of this electricity depends on the generation mix, procurement arrangements, demand patterns and accounting approach.
Increasing electricity demand can also create pressure for additional generation and electricity network infrastructure.
Scope 3: Construction and supply-chain emissions
Some of the most important environmental impacts occur before a data centre becomes operational.
The production and transportation of construction materials such as concrete, steel, insulation and electrical equipment generate greenhouse gas emissions.
These are commonly referred to as embodied carbon emissions.
For a large hyperscale data centre, the foundations, structural frame, building envelope and mechanical and electrical systems can represent substantial sources of embodied carbon.
This is why sustainable data centre development must begin at the design and construction stages, rather than focusing exclusively on operational electricity consumption.
2. Why Are Data Centres Being Built in the Countryside?
Large data centres often require extensive sites, reliable electrical infrastructure and suitable access to telecommunications networks.
Land outside established urban centres may provide the space needed for substantial buildings, substations, service roads and future expansion.
However, constructing industrial-scale facilities in countryside locations can create difficult land-use trade-offs.
Potential environmental consequences include:
- Loss or fragmentation of agricultural land and natural habitats.
- Changes to local landscapes and rural character.
- Increased surface-water runoff from buildings and hardstanding.
- Construction traffic, dust and noise.
- Additional electricity network infrastructure.
- Changes to the environment experienced by neighbouring communities.
The extent of these effects depends on the original condition of the site, the development design and the mitigation measures implemented.
Development on previously disturbed land may have different ecological impacts from construction on previously undeveloped countryside.
The Hertfordshire example: South Mimms and Abbots Langley
Hertfordshire is becoming an important location for major data centre infrastructure.
At South Mimms, the Equinix Hertfordshire Campus, previously associated with the DC01UK project, represents a substantial proposed data centre development.
At Abbots Langley, a scheme for up to 84,000 square metres of data centre floorspace across two buildings received permission following a recovered planning appeal decision published in May 2025.
The Abbots Langley proposals also include landscaping and a country park.
These developments illustrate the central planning challenge: balancing digital infrastructure requirements against carbon reduction, countryside protection and local environmental considerations.
They also create opportunities to investigate how construction design can reduce environmental impacts before development takes place.
3. Electricity Consumption and Climate Change
Electricity demand is one of the most significant operational sustainability issues associated with large data centres.
Servers consume energy while performing calculations, processing data and maintaining digital services.
Additional electricity is needed for cooling, power conversion, ventilation and other infrastructure.
The overall energy efficiency of a facility is commonly measured using Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE).
PUE compares total facility energy consumption with the energy consumed by IT equipment.
A lower PUE generally indicates less additional energy is being used for supporting infrastructure. However, PUE does not measure carbon emissions or water consumption directly.
The environmental performance of a data centre therefore depends on several factors:
- Efficiency of its computing hardware.
- Cooling technology and operating temperatures.
- Electricity generation and procurement.
- Utilisation of computing equipment.
- Energy management and load optimisation.
A facility with efficient cooling may still have substantial carbon emissions if its electricity comes from high-carbon sources.
Conversely, effective integration with low-carbon electricity supplies can significantly reduce electricity-related emissions.
4. Water Consumption: An Increasing Environmental Concern
Water is another important consideration, particularly in regions facing pressure on water resources.
Some data centres use evaporative cooling, where water helps remove heat from computing infrastructure.
Other technologies, such as dry cooling and closed-loop liquid cooling, can reduce direct water consumption, although their energy requirements and environmental trade-offs vary.
The main concerns include freshwater demand, seasonal water availability and possible competition with other users.
Water requirements also depend on facility location, climate and equipment design.
In September 2026, the UK Government acknowledged that the expansion of data centres could increase pressure on water supplies and highlighted work to improve water efficiency.
For countryside developments, water assessments should consider not only annual demand but also peak requirements during warm and dry periods.
5. Noise Pollution and Air Quality: What About Nearby Residents?
Data centres generally operate continuously, making environmental conditions around the site important.
Cooling systems, fans, chillers, transformers and other plant can produce noise. Backup generators can introduce additional intermittent noise during testing or power interruptions.
Potential neighbourhood impacts include disturbances to outdoor amenity and sleep, particularly in locations with low existing background noise.
Air pollution is another concern.
Diesel generators can emit nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and particulate matter when operating.
The Environment Agency has published specific guidance on reducing emissions from emergency backup diesel engines.
However, the presence of a generator does not automatically mean that nearby residents experience harmful pollution. Actual impacts depend on generator operation, exhaust design, weather conditions, distance and pollution dispersion.
Site-specific noise studies and air-quality assessments are therefore essential.
6. Biodiversity and Land-Use Impacts
Countryside development can alter local ecosystems even when buildings are designed to be energy-efficient.
Land clearance, habitat fragmentation, artificial lighting, changes to drainage and the introduction of hard surfaces can affect local biodiversity.
Construction projects should therefore establish the ecological characteristics of a site before development.
Environmental assessment should consider habitat quality, protected species, landscape connectivity and opportunities for habitat creation or restoration.
In England, biodiversity net gain requirements are an important component of many planning applications, subject to applicable exemptions and transitional provisions.
A credible biodiversity strategy should prioritise avoiding damage before considering mitigation and compensation.
7. The Overlooked Opportunity: Reducing Embodied Carbon in Data Centre Construction
While operational electricity often dominates public discussion, construction presents an important opportunity for earlier carbon reductions.
Large data centres require significant quantities of structural materials, foundations, building envelopes and engineering equipment.
The carbon generated by producing and installing these materials can become part of the project’s footprint before the facility processes its first workload.
Reducing embodied carbon requires identifying the highest-impact elements and assessing technically suitable alternatives.
Lower-carbon concrete
Concrete is widely used in foundations, floor slabs and structural components.
Opportunities for carbon reduction include appropriate lower-clinker cement formulations, supplementary cementitious materials and optimised concrete specifications.
Lower-carbon structural steel
Structural steel contributes to embodied carbon through manufacturing and processing.
Potential interventions include verified lower-emission steel products, efficient structural design, reuse and responsible material procurement.
Building envelope optimisation
Roofing, cladding and insulation materials should be assessed for both embodied carbon and lifetime performance.
Selecting a product based only on its manufacturing emissions could overlook durability, fire safety, replacement requirements or operational energy implications.
Mechanical and electrical infrastructure
Cooling systems, electrical distribution equipment, batteries and supporting infrastructure also contribute to embodied carbon.
These systems may have different replacement cycles from the main structure, making whole-life assessment especially important.
A comprehensive assessment should consider both material quantities and the lifecycle emissions associated with equipment replacement.
8. How Can PAS 2080 Help Deliver Lower-Carbon Data Centres?
PAS 2080:2023 provides a framework for managing carbon in buildings and infrastructure.
It encourages organisations across the value chain to identify carbon reduction opportunities, establish responsibilities and make evidence-based decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
For data centre construction, PAS 2080 principles can help project teams:
- Establish a credible carbon baseline.
- Identify major emissions hotspots.
- Evaluate alternative materials and construction methods.
- Compare carbon savings with cost, safety and performance.
- Track carbon reduction outcomes through design and delivery.
Carbon quantities can be calculated using appropriate lifecycle assessment methods, including the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment methodology.
Together, these approaches can help move projects from carbon reporting towards practical carbon management.
9. Can Data Centres Become More Sustainable?
Data centres are essential to modern digital services. The objective should be to reduce their environmental impacts while meeting legitimate computing and infrastructure needs.
A more sustainable approach requires coordinated action across multiple stages.
Before construction: Evaluate site selection, minimise unnecessary building materials, compare structural options and establish carbon reduction targets.
During construction: Use verified lower-carbon products, reduce material waste, optimise transport and monitor construction-related emissions.
During operation: Improve equipment efficiency, adopt appropriate cooling technologies, reduce unnecessary generator operation and increase access to low-carbon electricity.
Across the full lifecycle: Consider maintenance, equipment replacement, reuse, refurbishment and end-of-life material recovery.
No single technology eliminates all environmental impacts. Improvements should be assessed through measurable carbon, energy, water and ecological outcomes.
10. The Way Forward: Research-Led Low-Carbon Data Centre Construction
The growth of data centres in Hertfordshire presents an opportunity to develop practical evidence on more sustainable infrastructure construction.
An important research question is:
How much embodied carbon could be reduced in hyperscale data centre developments by adopting lower-carbon materials and optimising construction design?
Answering this requires a systematic methodology involving carbon baseline assessment, material quantities, Environmental Product Declarations, alternative-design comparisons and cost analysis.
Research focused on developments such as South Mimms and Abbots Langley could help establish evidence-based methods for comparing conventional construction with lower-carbon alternatives.
The resulting findings could support developers, designers, contractors and local authorities seeking to reduce the environmental footprint of future infrastructure projects.
Conclusion: Digital Growth Must Be Matched by Environmental Responsibility
The expansion of data centres presents both economic opportunities and environmental challenges.
Electricity demand, carbon emissions, water consumption, noise, air quality and countryside land use all require careful assessment.
However, an important part of the solution lies in decisions made before construction begins.
By identifying embodied carbon hotspots, adopting appropriate lower-carbon construction materials and applying whole-life carbon management principles, data centre developers can investigate meaningful emissions reductions while maintaining essential technical performance.
The future of sustainable data centres should not be defined only by how efficiently they operate, but also by how responsibly they are designed and built.
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