Regulation of Water Standards for Cloud Service Providers in Europe?
In the realm of digital innovation, data centers play a crucial role in our daily lives. However, their growing presence also brings about concerns regarding water consumption and sustainability. Recently, the Cloud Infrastructure Providers in Europe (CISPE) has submitted recommendations to the European Commission, aiming to strike a balance between water efficiency and energy efficiency in data centers.
The European Commission, in its bid to ensure equitable access to clean water and secure its water supply, has published the European Water Resilience Strategy. This strategy serves as a foundation for the ongoing discussions about the role data centers should play in water management.
CISPE's report, "Advancing water resilience through digital innovation and responsible stewardship," emphasizes a balanced and innovative approach. Key recommendations include recognizing data centers as responsible water users and innovative enablers for better water management, implementing minimum performance standards for water consumption, and promoting technologies that reduce water use.
One such technology is liquid cooling, which is gaining traction in the industry. Companies like Microsoft are already exploring waterless data center designs, a testament to the potential of these innovations. CISPE also advocates for running pilot projects across industries to promote water efficiency and encouraging water reclamation and returning water to communities, as Amazon Web Services aims to do by 2030.
Climate normalization is another crucial aspect of CISPE's recommendations. This involves ensuring that water use measurements are fair and reflect operational realities, avoiding unfair penalties based on geographic and climatic differences. Overly burdensome regulations could potentially push operators to build data centers outside Europe or create unfair competitive disadvantages.
The digital sector currently accounts for 42% of its carbon footprint, with data centers consuming a significant portion of this. As the development of AI is expected to increase water consumption, it is essential to address these issues proactively.
The EU is focusing on industrial transition, particularly data centers, which consume large volumes of water, often ultra-pure, for cooling. ADEME, an expert in this field, has provided an opinion on data centers or data processing centers.
The article, "Future European water norms worry cloud actors," published in Le Monde Informatique, highlights the concerns expressed by CISPE regarding potential cost increases and offshoring due to regulatory uncertainty.
Hubblo, in a study titled "Important impacts of data centers: the blind spot of territorial analyses of digital impacts," underscores the importance of addressing water consumption in data centers.
As we navigate this complex issue, it is crucial to remember that water and energy efficiency should be considered together. Solutions that minimize water use could potentially increase energy consumption, and vice versa. This nuanced approach aims to avoid counterproductive outcomes while improving overall water resilience.
We encourage readers to share this article for support in fostering a more sustainable and responsible approach to water management in data centers.
[1] CISPE. (2021). Advancing water resilience through digital innovation and responsible stewardship. [2] CISPE. (2021). Don't throw the baby out with the bath water! [3] Hubblo. (2021). Important impacts of data centers: the blind spot of territorial analyses of digital impacts. [Cover Photo by Michael Ungacta]
- The European Commission, in its water resilience strategy, recognizes the importance of data centers as potential contributors to better water management, advocating for them to be recognized as responsible water users and innovators.
- CISPE, in its report on water resilience, emphasizes the need for implementing minimum performance standards for water consumption and promoting technologies like liquid cooling to reduce water use, while also advocating for water reclamation and returning water to communities.
- Hubblo, in a study on the impacts of data centers, underscores the necessity of addressing water consumption in data centers, particularly in the context of their energy efficiency, as solutions that minimize water use could potentially increase energy consumption, and vice versa.
