資料中心和 ESG 認證
Data Center and ESG Certification

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Data Center and ESG Certification

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Key points

• The growing importance on ESG related certification leading to the company’s effort to obtained the certificate to assess to multiple advantages offers

• Among ESG certification in the data center, ISO 50001 is one of the common certificate the company chose. 

• Meta as an example is the data center that pursue sustainable design, energy efficiency and preserved biodiversity

• Aligned data center pursues Green Globes Certification with the commitment on net zero carbon and resource efficiency

       The data center sustainability has become an important topic for investor to decide on their investment and for climate change impact as the research from American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) found that the data center around the world has accounted for about 205 terawatt-hours of electricity usage in 2018 or around 1% of all energy consumption worldwide. Given the increasing importance of data center to the world, there are several framework of the ESG certification that cover the sustainability aspect of the data center. The most well-known certification programs are used to access the whole building or energy-only program which the company can select and apply for different certification such as LEED for the whole building, GRESB for accessing the ESG benchmark, ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard or ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard, CEEDA to evaluate global certification on data center’s energy efficiency, and Fossil-Free Data to evaluate fossil fuel in the data center’s. 

       Among the ESG Certification, ISO 14001 environmental management and ISO 50001 energy management systems (EnMS) are one of the popular certification to attest the energy and environmental performance of data centers. The ISO 50001 is a specification for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an energy management system based on Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, a continual improvement framework that integrates energy management into an organization’s daily practices. If the company follows the plan, the companies will be able to improve their energy performance on energy management. The certification was given by third party validation of your energy and environmental governnace and management. Key advantages of the ISO 50001 are the certification heps improved energy performance which could help the companies save cost and increased energy efficiency, the certification help the company’s to demonstrates the commitment towards sustainability practices or align with company’s ESG goals, with the certification comes with greater accountability to put energy management as priority which change the organization culture, financial incentives and opportunities from investors, and unlock verified saving credits which can be traded as a financial asset for the company. 

       According to the sustainability report of Meta by Facebook, the Meta’s data centers are part of the global infrastructure that brings current technologies to life and supports immersive experiences in the metaverse with the supported by 100% renewable energy. The data center generate the highest percentage of energy use and GHG emission with the usage of evaporative cooling system during summer and humidication during winters. The company also track record of design and construction strategy that conserve energy and water, reduce waste, create positive impact to the communities and provide healthy workdspeces. With the sustainability goal, the company was able to achieve certification and support organization related to ESG. For example, Meta became a sponsoring member of the American Concrete Institute’s Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete in 2022 and a platinum member of the U.S. Green Building Council. As of 2023, the company have 34 LEED Gold or better data center buildings, totalling over 22 million square feet and example of LEED Gold data centers are located in Iowa, Nebraska, Alabama, Utah and Georgia. 

       The road to maintaining energy efficiency and achieve different certification includes conducting Life Cycle Assessment s (LCAs) on several data center hardware products and developed internal visualization tools to identify the highest carbon emitting components. Moreover, at the fleet level, the company’s conducted embodied carbon estimated to calculated caron release. As well as prioritize the use of post-consumer recycled plastics and recycled metal in the hardware to enable more circular supply chain with an aim to reduce the embedded carbon in the hardware. In terms of biodiversity, the company also participated in preserved diversity by preserved and planned over 3,400 acres of native habitat across 20 North American data centers which occupied over 58% of existing data center fleet footprint, as well as, aligning the policy with Converntion on International Trade in Endangered Species. The company has included the data related to the energy efficiency. On Operational GHG emissions at data center was 568,000 tons in 2017 and it has reduced to 22,163 tonnes in 2022, and on sustainable design, all data centers are based on sustainable design with LEED Gold or above or ISO 50001.

       Another example is Aligned Data Centers has achieved the prestigious Three Green Globes certification from the Green Building Initiative (GBI) for its hyperscale data center in Chicagoland. This accolade recognizes Aligned's exceptional achievements in sustainable design and construction. ORD-01, the hyperscale facility, is the first newly constructed data center in Illinois to attain Green Globes certification and one of just six certified data centers globally to earn a Three Green Globes ranking. The certification underscores Aligned's commitment to reducing carbon emissions, enhancing resource efficiency, adhering to best practices in current and future building operations, and promoting occupant health and wellness.

       Aligned's Chicagoland hyperscale data center campus, covering 18.5 acres, includes two multi-story facilities with a total capacity of 84 MW. The campus is powered by 100% off-site renewable energy and employs water consumption reduction strategies. Aligned has integrated its patented Delta3 ™ cooling technology and a state-of-the-art waterless heat rejection system, which substantially reduces the need for water treatment chemicals. GBI's certification process involves an on-site assessment conducted by a third-party assessor to validate the implementation of sustainability criteria .

       In conclusion, the sustainability of data centers is no longer just a topic for environmentalists and activists. It has evolved into a critical consideration for investors, shareholders, and stakeholders. The environmental impact of data centers and the need for sustainability has grown alongside the expansion of the digital economy. The research conducted by the AAAS serves as a stark reminder that data centers have a substantial energy footprint, and their sustainability is crucial in mitigating climate change. Various ESG certification programs provide a framework for data centers to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. These programs assess and validate the sustainability efforts and performance of data centers, helping companies align with ESG goals and investor expectations.