Rethinking data centre sustainability

In this interview, TERRY MAIOLO, VP & General Manager for Asia Pacific at cloud computing company OVHcloud, discusses how data centres can become sustainable when faced with the resource-hungry demands of GenAI.

Can data centres ever be truly sustainable in an era when there is huge, increasing demand for generative AI, or will we reach a tipping point?

It’s a critical question, one which the industry needs to address head on. While the demand for generative AI and cloud computing is accelerating, data centres can operate sustainably, but it does require a fundamental shift in how infrastructure is designed, powered and managed.

We should not view sustainability and innovation as mutually exclusive; they should be viewed as interconnected. The key is to embed sustainability into every layer of the value chain, from chip design to data centre cooling to software optimisation. With the right investments and innovation, we can scale AI responsibly and sustainably.

How can businesses assess the sustainability credentials of their data centre provider?

To assess a data centre provider’s sustainability, businesses should look for measurable indicators like low sustainability metrics such as power usage effectiveness (PUE) and, more importantly, water usage effectiveness (WUE); use of renewable energy; and transparent carbon reporting. Providers should disclose their energy sources, cooling technologies and hardware lifecycle practices such as refurbishment and e-waste reduction.

Certifications like ISO 14001 or ISO 50001, which recognise the international standards for environmental management systems and energy management systems, and participation in initiatives like the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, also signal genuine commitment. Ultimately, sustainability should be embedded in the provider’s operations, not just a marketing message.

How accountable should data centre providers be when it comes to transparency around their sustainability practices and commitments?

Data centre providers should be fully accountable and transparent about their sustainability practices. As demand for digital infrastructure grows, so does the responsibility to disclose energy usage, carbon emissions and progress toward environmental goals. Businesses have the right to understand a provider’s environmental impact before choosing to partner with them. Transparency is not just good practice, it is essential for building trust and enabling customers to make informed, responsible decisions.

Data centre providers should also set clear goals in greenhouse gas emissions reduction including specific targets for Scope 1, 2 and 3. By being transparent on environmental targets and performance, data centre providers can offer businesses the opportunity to further scale the full potential of sustainable cloud computing.

Can you tell us a bit about the water-cooling technology developed by OVHcloud and how it contributes to more sustainable data centres?

OVHcloud has been using its proprietary water-cooling technology at scale since 2003, helping it achieve an average PUE of just 1.26 and a WUE of 0.37, of which the latter is five times less water usage than traditional systems. Unlike conventional cooling that chills entire rooms, OVHcloud targets heat directly at the source. A proprietary water-cooled ‘thermoblock’ sits on heat-generating components like the chip, circulating water in a closed loop without evaporation. This design improves energy and water efficiency, reduces land use and enables higher server density, making data centres more sustainable by design.

Is data centre sustainability creating new opportunities for industry (ie, those businesses responsible for data centre infrastructure)?

Yes, the drive for data centre sustainability is opening up major opportunities across the infrastructure ecosystem. It is fuelling innovation in energy-efficient cooling, renewable integration and carbon tracking. A great example is OVHcloud’s enhanced Environmental Impact Tracker, announced in July 2025. This newly enhanced tool helps customers accurately measure the carbon footprint of their cloud usage across OVHcloud solutions including Baremetal, Hosted Private Cloud and Public Cloud Compute — with more services to follow. Combined with OVHcloud’s vertically integrated supply chain and circular IT practices, sustainability is becoming a competitive differentiator and a catalyst for industry-wide transformation.

Terry Maiolo.

Top image credit: iStock.com/XH4D