GreenScale sets sustainability commitments for data centres

GreenScale has published 12 sustainability commitments for its data centre campuses. The framework will guide the development and operation of sites in emerging, power-rich markets across Europe.

The commitments cover renewable energy, embodied carbon, water use, local communities and supply chains. GreenScale will report publicly against each target as projects move forward. The standards were shaped through a materiality assessment aligned with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark.

Several targets set specific operating and procurement thresholds. These include designing all data centres for heat export while seeking off-takers, using 100% hydro-treated vegetable oil fuel in backup generators, reaching a Water Usage Effectiveness target of 0.4 or below, and requiring major design and construction suppliers to hold an EcoVadis rating of Good or higher.

The commitments are organised under two pillars: Green Infrastructure and Scale for Good. Under Green Infrastructure, GreenScale will align power sourcing with the iMasons Climate Accord Power Maturity Model, reduce construction-related carbon emissions, decarbonise backup power generation, design sites for heat reuse, cut water consumption, and reach operational net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and full value chain net-zero emissions by 2050.

The second pillar focuses on social and supply chain measures. GreenScale will seek to understand local community needs, direct at least 10% of design and construction spending within the country where a data centre is built, work only with suppliers that meet its sustainability standards, pursue gender pay parity for the same grade within the same department, create at least 25 early-career opportunities, and deliver all customer ESG reports within agreed timescales.

Tonstad site

The announcement was accompanied by new images of GreenScale's planned Tonstad Campus in southern Norway, which it presented as an example of its approach to selecting locations with renewable energy access and connectivity. The site is planned as a 300MW campus with four purpose-built data centre buildings on a 420,000-square-metre site, representing more than €2.5 billion in planned investment.

Tonstad sits next to the Ertsmyra substation and will draw electricity from the nearby Tonstad Power Plant, one of Norway's largest hydropower facilities by annual generation. GreenScale has argued that this type of location gives it a stronger basis for meeting the environmental targets it has set for future campuses.

The strategy reflects a broader shift in the European data centre market, as developers look beyond established hubs to secure power, land and planning support. That search has become more urgent as demand from cloud computing and artificial intelligence increases pressure on electricity grids and intensifies scrutiny of water use, diesel backup systems and the wider environmental footprint of digital infrastructure.

For operators, public targets on water, energy sourcing and supply chains also respond to rising demands from customers, investors and regulators for measurable disclosures rather than broad sustainability claims. GreenScale said the framework is intended to set targets from the earliest stages of site selection, design and construction, rather than leaving them to operational reporting after facilities open.

Anna Dowson, Senior Director of Sustainability at GreenScale, outlined that approach in explaining the new framework. "These commitments reflect the areas where we believe GreenScale can make the greatest positive impact," Dowson said. "By setting clear, measurable targets from the outset, we're creating a transparent way to track our progress over time and hold ourselves accountable as our campuses move through development and into operation."

Dan Thomas, CEO of GreenScale, said the company viewed early design and location choices as central to the long-term performance of its assets. "Data centre campuses are long-term infrastructure assets that will operate for decades," Thomas said. "The decisions made before construction begins influence their performance throughout their lifetime. That's why we've embedded sustainability into every stage of our approach, from selecting the right locations to designing, building and operating our campuses. These commitments provide the framework that will guide that journey."