40 global mayors ink data center development pact
Forty mayors from around the world, including several from the U.S., have signed a pact to shape how urban data centers are built and operated sustainably. The initiative, launched by C40 Cities, addresses concerns about data centers' impact on natural resources, energy prices, and climate targets. Participating mayors aim to establish frameworks for regulations that ensure data centers minimize environmental impact and provide community benefits.
Forty mayors worldwide, including representatives from several major U.S. cities, have signed a pact championed by C40 Cities to guide sustainable urban data center development. Launched during London Climate Action Week, the initiative aims to establish a unified framework to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of data centers on cities, addressing concerns about natural resource depletion, rising energy costs, and climate goals. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, a key proponent, highlighted worries about data centers in her city potentially doubling electricity demand and exacerbating climate change, emphasizing the need for development that benefits communities and the planet.
The pact outlines specific standards, urging data centers to be built on underutilized land, powered by renewable energy, and designed to minimize water use, emissions, and waste heat. It also calls for developments that create local jobs, use local goods and services, fund their own infrastructure upgrades, and engage with community feedback. The initiative seeks to prevent a "race to the bottom" among cities by providing a collective voice and a framework for local regulations. While many cities, including Seattle, Palo Alto, Riverside, Albuquerque, Beverly, Lincoln, Chicago, Cleveland, and Miami from the U.S., have joined, the pact still needs to be translated into actionable local regulations and requires cooperation from various stakeholders.