Nahla Davies deep dives into the murky world of Big Tech and sustainability, and asks what can businesses do to green their digital footprint?
Cloud computing touches nearly every aspect of modern life, powering everything from our video calls and streaming binges to smart home gadgets and remote work platforms. Yet despite its reputation as a dematerialised ‘cloud’, the reality is far more tangible: a sprawling network of enormous data centres staffed with power-hungry servers, massive cooling rigs and redundant backup facilities, all humming 24/7.
This physical footprint carries a steep environmental price.
The cloud’s carbon footprint is notoriously high, and global demand for digital services continues to surge.
Even worse, energy consumption might be much higher than actually reported.
In response, the quest is on for a ‘green cloud’. But just how feasible is it, and what does it mean for environmentally conscious businesses?
Growing energy demands
Data centres are voracious energy consumers. In 2024, they gobbled up 415 terawatt-hours (TWh). That’s about 1.5pc of global demand, and it’s predicted that as AI, blockchain and IoT workloads balloon, electricity use could double by 2026.
Servers themselves generate intense heat, requiring elaborate cooling systems that often rely on chilled water towers or air conditioning, demanding further resources.
Beyond electricity, cooling data centres can guzzle staggering volumes of fresh water. The average facility may use around 300,000 gallons per day (roughly the daily consumption of 100,000 homes) while hyperscale campuses have been known to draw up to 5m gallons a day in water-stressed regions. This water demand has sparked community pushback in some locations, prompting some operators to adopt air-cooled or closed-loop systems and pledges such as Microsoft’s goal to go water-positive by 2030.
Fossil fuels still power much of the world’s grid, so the carbon emissions linked to data centres remains significant.
Last but not least, the lifecycle impacts of hardware. Mining rare earth minerals, manufacturing servers, and disposing of e-waste (not to forget the energy expended in doing all of the above), all add to the environmental cost of the cloud.
Digital services are only growing more demanding.
Emerging AI applications are notably power-hungry: a single generative AI query can consume ten times more electricity than a routine web search.
As companies rush to train ever-larger models and host real-time AI features, data centre energy needs, and by extension, emissions and water use, are poised to soar even further.
Addressing the challenge
Green cloud computing is a framework that fundamentally shifts how cloud resources are designed, operated and consumed, to slash environmental impacts without sacrificing performance. There are several intersecting strategies and technologies that enable greener cloud computing.
Renewable energy integration
Tech giants are investing heavily in wind, solar and hydro to power their operations, with the likes of Google, Amazon and Microsoft all making emissions pledges.
Virtualisation and resource optimisation
Virtual machines can be run on fewer physical servers, with resources scaling with demand. This cloud automation should reduce wasted capacity and reduce wear and tear on hardware, cutting energy use, e-waste and the cost of producing replacement parts.
AI for energy management
Ironically, AI itself can mitigate energy consumption. Predictive analytics can help spot maintenance needs before hardware fails, while intelligent load-balancing optimises workflows and power allocation.
Some operators already use machine learning to adjust cooling in real time, trimming power draw without compromising reliability.
Carbon offsetting and neutrality initiatives
Many providers invest in carbon credits, carbon-removal projects or reforestation programs to offset residual emissions. However, critics argue these offsets can mask the true footprint if they aren’t paired with real emissions cuts at the source, raising greenwashing concerns.
Sustainable hardware and workflow optimisation
Switching to energy-efficient components such as solid-state drives, optimising application code to reduce compute cycles and automating batch jobs to run during periods of surplus renewable power are all ways to shrink the carbon footprint of everyday IT workflows.
Green data centres
Green data centres combine all of the energy-efficient technologies outlined above, from optimised server designs to high-density virtualisation, to reduce their energy consumption and shrink their carbon footprints.
They capture and repurpose waste heat and extend hardware lifecycles through rigorous reuse and recycling programs, cutting both energy waste and e-waste generation. Advanced cooling methods such as liquid cooling and hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment further curb reliance on energy-intensive air-conditioning systems.
Finally, by pairing on-site or nearby solar, wind and other renewables with smart grid integrations, these facilities drastically reduce their dependence on fossil-fuel electricity and drive down their overall greenhouse-gas emissions.
The road ahead
The pledges of major cloud providers are fantastic on paper, but remember, there’s nothing to stop them from breaking those pledges without regulatory control. Particularly when the demand for new data centres makes these goals look increasingly unrealistic.
The EU is set to propose its Cloud and AI Development Act this year, with stricter energy-efficiency mandates and mandatory emissions reporting that will soon bind data centres across Europe to clear sustainability criteria.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Energy began working with operators on microgrid partnerships to power facilities with local renewables, signalling that on-site clean energy may finally scale alongside grid capacity. However, this program began during the previous administration, so its continuation is an open question.
So, what can environmentally conscious businesses do?
The cloud has become an essential part of many modern businesses, so it’s not as simple as just not using it. The best thing you can do is your due diligence. When choosing a provider, you can’t just accept renewable energy certificates at face value. Instead, look for ones that allow for third-party audits of emissions to get an independent assessment of their carbon footprints.
Since reliance on the cloud is unlikely to change any time soon, green cloud providers are going to be essential for a sustainable future. While there are formidable challenges, the hope remains that the steady march of technological advances and regulatory compliance could offer viable solutions in the future. But is that progress quick enough?
It’s a big question, with a lot of answers, but for environmentally conscious businesses looking for cloud providers, all you can do at this point is your very best to navigate the murky waters of sustainable cloud.
By Nahla Davies
Nahla Davies is a software developer and tech writer. Before devoting her work full time to technical writing, she managed – among other intriguing things – to serve as a lead programmer at an Inc. 5,000 experiential branding organisation, where clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix and Sony.
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