Tell the Government to stop dirty data centres
The unchecked expansion of AI data centres in the UK is jeopardising climate goals, threatening water security, and contradicting local community needs. We need a 'moratorium’ – or pause – on new data centre construction now.
Communities across the UK are fighting to have their concerns about AI data centres heard but are being drowned out by big tech lobbyists who hold the ear of government. Will you help them?
Add your voice to the petition now to put a stop to dirty data centres.
Take Action
Call on the Government to implement a moratorium on AI data centres until climate and community concerns can be addressed
To: Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Un-checked AI data centre growth is jeopardising climate action, water security and house-building.
The absence of coordinated Government data centre policy has led to 50 GW of data centres requesting grid connections – 5GW more than UK peak winter electricity demand and 44 GW more than Government estimates of future demand. This scale of data centre construction will outstrip renewables growth, markedly increase fossil fuel consumption and emissions, and compete with other local demands for energy such as house building.
Upgrading the grid and building enough renewable capacity to electrify heat and transport, meet the 2030 clean power target and set the UK on the path to net zero is already very challenging. The challenge will be insurmountable if data centre build-out remains un-checked, especially should facilities be powered by on-site gas.
To bring data centre build-out within sustainable limits, Government must implement a framework that sets out:
- how many data centres are needed, what for and where
- how other sectors of the economy will maintain access to clean power and water
- what level of cumulative emissions and other environmental harm from data centre build-out is acceptable, and how developers will mitigate that harm
- measures to ensure industry reports power and water usage transparently, so all of us – governments and communities – can assess their environmental impacts and weigh them against any potential benefits.
Until the above is in place, there must be a moratorium on the construction of new AI data centres.
Data centres put a massive strain on the UK’s finite water and power supplies, competing with local community needs and putting our country’s move to clean power at risk.
We estimate that more than a hundred data centres are planned across the UK, the largest of which alone would consume more electricity than double all of the households in Wales.
84% of these proposed data centres will be built in areas of the UK that are soon to experience significant water scarcity. Yet the UK Government does not require data centre operators to disclose their water usage.
Without setting out a clear strategy or need, the UK Government is encouraging developers to build more and more data centres and changing the planning system to make it harder for local residents to have their concerns addressed. We must apply the brakes before it’s too late.
We are calling on the UK Government to pause new data centre developments until it has created a clear framework setting out how many data centres are needed, what they will be used for, and how their environmental harm will be mitigated.
Industry must also be required to report on its power and water usage so that everyone can weigh up their environmental harms against any benefits they may bring.
Every name added to the petition makes it harder for the UK Government to ignore. Will you add yours?
Are you standing in the local elections?
We are asking local council candidates and councillors to commit to a moratorium on data centres, pledging that they will not stand for the development of data centres in their local area due to the environmental harm caused by their immense water and energy requirements.
Get in touch to find out more and commit to the pledge.
With thanks to the individual supporters who make this work possible
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