25 Mar 2024

Environmental Regulation and Climate Resilience Considerations for Data Centres: Session with Environmental Agency

On 13 March, techUK partnered with the Environment Agency on a webinar about environmental regulation and climate change resilience considerations for the data centre industry.

Climate resilience and adaptation are becoming increasingly critical considerations for data centres. As climate change continues to manifest in more frequent and severe weather events, such as storms, floods, and heatwaves, data centres face heightened risks of operational disruptions and infrastructure damage.

During the webinar, techUK members heard from Spence Seaman, Regulated Industry Climate Change Manager and Michael Nicholas, Senior Advisor for Climate Change Adaptation who provided an overview of the current regulatory landscape, planned changes and the Environment Agency’s role in helping companies adapt to climate change.

Members had the opportunity to engage with the Environment Agency and ask questions about the requirement for companies to integrate climate change adaptation planning into a management system as well as complete a climate change adaptation risk assessment by 1 April 2024. More information on these obligations can be found here and here.

Slides presented by the Environment Agency can be found here, as well as a recording from the session can be found below:

techUK has been invited by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to participate in the 4th round of climate adaptation reporting on behalf of the data centre industry. The completion of our report, due by 31 December 2024, will contribute to shaping the forthcoming statutory Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA4).

We will share more detailed information on how we plan to engage with our members on this initiative in the coming weeks.


techUK - Committed to Climate Action 

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Visit our Climate Action Hub to learn more or to register for regular updates.

By 2030, digital technology can cut global emissions by 15%. Cloud computing, 5G, AI and IoT have the potential to support dramatic reductions in carbon emissions in sectors such as transport, agriculture, and manufacturing. techUK is working to foster the right policy framework and leadership so we can all play our part. For more information on how techUK can support you, please visit our Climate Action Hub and click ‘contact us’.

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Contact the team

Weronika Dorociak

Weronika Dorociak

Programme Manager, Sustainability , techUK

Craig Melson

Craig Melson

Associate Director for Climate, Environment and Sustainability, techUK

Lucas Banach

Lucas Banach

Programme Assistant, Data Centres, Climate, Environment and Sustainability, Market Access, techUK

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