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Sustainability at GreenScale

Sustainability is at the core of GreenScale’s operations.
We build responsibly from the earliest stage of site selection, choosing locations where our infrastructure can create shared value by strengthening local economies and contributing positively to the energy ecosystem. As we scale, we do so with intention, supporting grid stability, enabling local enterprise, and driving long-term regional growth.

Our pillars of commitment:

Green Infrastructure

Investing in renewable energy and positively contributing to the local energy grid.

Scale for Good

Partnering with local communities, value chain, and customers for sustainable growth.

“We are proud to launch our twelve sustainability commitments, focusing on where we can make the biggest positive impact. As the data centre industry grows rapidly, so does our opportunity and responsibility to drive meaningful change. With clear targets and transparent tracking, we’ll measure our progress and hold ourselves accountable every step of the way.”

Anna Dowson, Senior Director Sustainability
Anna Dowson, Senior Director Sustainability

Explore what we’re committing to and how we plan to deliver.

Our sustainability commitments translate our vision to ‘positively contribute to energy ecosystems’ into measurable action. They focus on the areas where we can deliver the greatest environmental and social impact, while providing clear accountability across our operations.
Select a commitment to view more details:

Green Infrastructure

Scale for Good

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Sharing Transparent ESG Data

The commitment
We will deliver 100% of our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports within the agreed reporting timescales.

Why did we pick this commitment?
Delivering ESG reports on schedule allows us to track progress against our sustainability and social impact commitments, measure success, and remain accountable. Timely reporting helps identify what is working, where improvements are needed, and supports transparency with our key stakeholders.

How will we achieve this?
To achieve this commitment, we will capture ESG metrics in a central data platform, validate them through third-party assurance where appropriate, and share them through a secure customer portal or API so that clients can plug the numbers straight into their own reporting systems.

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Achieving Net Zero Emissions

The commitment
By 2040, we will achieve operational net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. By 2050 we will achieve full value chain net-zero emissions.

Why did we pick this commitment?
With the unprecedented rise in data centre demand, we have a unique opportunity to scale digital infrastructure responsibly. Having a clear roadmap to net-zero emissions will help guide our investments to ensure we proactively reduce our carbon footprint.

How will we achieve this?
To achieve net-zero emissions, we will take a set of comprehensive actions as outlined in our net-zero roadmap, including sourcing green electricity, prioritising energy efficiency, selecting low-carbon construction materials, electrifying our fleet and logistics, and employing permanent carbon removals to offset residual emissions.

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Supporting Equal Gender Opportunities

The commitment
We will strive for gender pay parity for the same grade within the same department.

Why did we pick this commitment?
The data centre industry has historically employed fewer women. Promoting gender diversity and fair pay supports an inclusive workplace, ensures opportunities are equitable, and strengthens our teams.

How will we achieve this?
We will update hiring policies to embed diversity requirements, brief recruiters and managers, and track compliance. Once our workforce reaches 100 employees, we will report on our gender pay gap and publish action plans to close them.

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Reusing Excess Heat

The commitment
All of our data centres will be designed for heat export, with GreenScale proactively seeking potential off-takers.

Why did we pick this commitment?
Data centres generate significant excess heat that can be reused for local homes, businesses, or public facilities, this reduces demand for fossil-fuel heating.

How will we achieve this?
All new facilities will be designed with connection points and equipment that can integrate with external heat-recovery systems and district heating networks. We will proactively seek potential off-takers and partners capable of developing the necessary infrastructure to utilise the recovered heat.

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Minimising Water Consumption

The commitment
We will ensure all our sites achieve a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of 0.4 or below within 12 months of operations.

Why did we pick this commitment?
Using less water in our facilities reduces the pressure on local rivers and reservoirs, protects surrounding wildlife and ecosystems, and helps communities maintain access to reliable water supplies.

How will we achieve this?
We will use a range of approaches to reduce water use, such as prioritising dry cooling, implementing closed-loop systems, and capturing rainwater.

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Creating Early Career Opportunities

The commitment
Create a minimum of 25 early-career opportunities by 2030. ​

Why did we pick this commitment?
The data centre industry faces a growing skills gap. Supporting early careers helps develop the next generation of talent, ensures a pipeline of skilled professionals, and strengthens the industry’s capacity to meet future demand.​

How will we achieve this?
We will embed criteria in procurement and HR policies, collaborate with key suppliers and universities to source candidates, and track progress.

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Decarbonising Back-Up Power Generation

The commitment

100% certified biofuels will power all backup generators under GreenScale control.

Why did we pick this commitment?

Back-up generators that run on traditional fuels such as diesel are a major source of CO₂ and NOₓ emissions. Using certified hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) or other biofuels reduces emissions, improves local air quality, and sets a new standard for the data centre industry.

How will we achieve this?

All our campuses will have generators capable of running on biofuels such as HVO. In addition, we will secure long-term supply agreements and a procurement framework to ensure consistent and sufficient supply.

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Building a Sustainable Supply Chain

The commitment
We will only partner with suppliers that meet high sustainability standards.​

Why did we pick this commitment?
Working with suppliers that meet strong environmental, social, and governance standards reduces risks, strengthens relationships, and ensures our projects are delivered responsibly.

How will we achieve this?
Sustainability requirements will be included in all contracts and procurement processes. We will also use Ecovadis to assess our suppliers and will only work with partners with a score of “Good” or higher.

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Prioritising Local Spend

The commitment
We will ensure that at least 10% of design and construction costs are spent within the country where the data centre is located.

Why did we pick this commitment?
Investing locally supports communities, strengthens regional economies, and ensures that our projects create lasting value in the areas where we build.

How will we achieve this?
We will prioritise local and national sourcing into our procurement processes and report on performance.

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Sourcing Green Energy

The commitment
We align our power sourcing strategy with the iMasons Climate Accord (iCA) Power Maturity Model, prioritising local renewable power generation and committing to operating our data centre campuses with a lower carbon intensity than the local grid, while contributing positively to the energy ecosystem.
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Why did we pick this commitment?
The data centre industry is power-intensive. By powering our campuses with renewable energy, we reduce carbon emissions while helping local grids fully utilise available renewable generation.​

How will we achieve this?
For every site we develop, we will assess power provision against five criteria: renewable power (annual & hourly matching), carbon-free power locality, carbon intensity reduction, and grid benefit. This approach lets us tailor decisions to each site’s opportunities and constraints, focusing on the most effective actions to deliver positive local energy-system impact.

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Understanding Local Communities

The commitment
We will work to understand the needs of local communities and how we can positively contribute.

Why did we pick this commitment?
Understanding and responding to local needs ensures our facilities deliver positive social impact, support employment, and our local investments are targeted, relevant, and impactful.

How will we achieve this?
For every new site we develop, we will complete a structured Local Needs Assessment (LNA) at the early design stage. This involves engaging local authorities, NGOs, and residents to identify the community’s most pressing needs.

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Reducing Embodied Carbon

The commitment
We will reduce the carbon emissions associated with the construction of our data centre campuses.

Why did we pick this commitment?
Construction is a major contributor to a data centre’s carbon footprint through emissions associated with building materials, transport, and on-site works, commonly referred to as embodied carbon.

How will we achieve this?
We will measure carbon emissions by conducting Whole Building Life Carbon Assessments and prioritising products with Environmental Product Declarations, which provide verified data on their environmental impact. We will also target reductions in embodied carbon through our design and procurement activities in line with the iMasons Climate Accord (iCA) maturity model.