The increasing demand for cloud computing infrastructure is driving significant growth in electricity consumption, with data centers being major contributors. Efforts to address climate change and promote energy sustainability are progressing slowly, leading to calls for further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
New regulations targeting data centers are expected to moderate energy consumption and emissions, prompting the need for increased sustainability efforts. Cloud computing data centers share environmental impacts with physical data centers, particularly in electricity consumption, which is a major concern.
However, cloud computing’s ability to consolidate workloads and leverage renewable energy sources could make it a more sustainable option compared to traditional data centers. Strategies such as transitioning to renewable energy sources, using energy-efficient equipment, managing water usage, reusing heat, adopting circular economy practices, and using sustainable materials in construction can help data centers, both cloud and physical, become more sustainable.
Overall, cloud computing has the potential to be greener, especially at scale, and will likely play a crucial role in achieving sustainability goals in the future.
