Opposition grows across Europe to new data centre construction

More than 100 organisations from 15 European countries have joined a campaign called “Stop Dirty Data Centres”. They are urging national governments to suspend, at least temporarily, the approval of new large-scale data centre projects. Data centres are facilities housing servers that store and process data, including for artificial intelligence (AI). The dispute matters because government decisions will influence how quickly AI infrastructure grows in Europe and which rules apply to it.

What the activists want

Campaigners argue that AI infrastructure is expanding too fast, and that its effects on the environment, the economy and future challenges are not being properly assessed. Protests are taking place in countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Finland.

The organisers are not calling for data centre development to stop altogether. They want a temporary moratorium that would give time to draft stricter planning, regulatory and environmental protection rules.

They say the growing number of data centres affects electricity consumption, water resources and local infrastructure, and also raises justified concerns about electronic waste.

The governments' and industry's position

European governments and technology companies stress that data centres are an essential part of the digital economy and of AI development. Many believe that falling behind in AI technology would be dangerous for Europe.

The United Kingdom forecasts that it will need an additional 6 GW of data centre capacity by the end of the decade. Its government has already drawn up guidelines under which future projects must fund their own energy infrastructure, meet strict environmental standards and deliver benefits to local residents.