Can Cloud Computing Lead the Way on Climate?

Feb. 9, 2021
When it comes to climate change, it is time for the data center sector to lead. On the DCF Show Podcast, Rich Miller outlines how cloud computing can drive a global shift to renewably-powered business.

When it comes to climate change, it is time for the data center sector to lead. The massive energy footprint of cloud computing enables the data center industry to drive a global shift to renewably-powered business. This is becoming a huge issue for cloud platforms, data center developers and service providers and especially for users of data center services.

DCF Podcast Episode 13: Can Cloud Computing Lead The Way on Climate?

This is the second in a series of broadcasts outlining the Eight Trends That Will Shape the Data Center in 2021. The data center industry is in a unique position to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices and reduce the damage to our changing climate. Customers and stakeholders are demanding accountability on climate impact, creating a compelling business incentive to embrace sustainability.

Listen to today’s show:

Here are links to the additional resources on enterprise IT trends that I mentioned in the podcast:

  • Green Data Centers and the Sustainability Imperative: An in-depth DCF special report on the key issues to enable the data center industry to be a champion on climate change, advancing sustainability and adopting of renewable energy. Customers are demanding it, and the planet needs it.
  • The Rise of the Sustainable Data Center: Data center water use has broad impacts. It affects the quality and availability of local water supplies, particularly when groundwater is involved. This special report series  examines data center water usage amid historic droughts and wildfires in California and beyond.
  • WEBINAR:  Greening the Data Center: Expert voices from DCF and Iron Mountain come together for a Feb. 10 webinar to discuss the impact of ESG initiatives on the future of the data center business, and answer your questions about meeting sustainability goals.

These article series provide excerpts of some of the findings in our recent reports:

  • The Sustainability Imperative: A four-part series on a holistic approach to assessing the environmental impact of your data center dootprint.
  • Tackling Data Center Water Usage: Data centers are under particular scrutiny for their water use. In the U.S. alone they are expected to consume an estimated 174 billion gallons of water in 2020.

Be sure to check our our free Annual Forecast, outlining the DCF take on the most important trends to watch this year:

Did you like this episode? Be sure to subscribe to the Data Center Frontier show so you get future episodes on your app. We are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find quality podcasts. You can also subscribe using our RSS feed, and tell your friends and colleagues about our podcast!

We’ve also just launched the Data Center Frontier Channel on YouTube to showcase our videos, where we explain the infrastructure that powers the digital world. If you like data centers or work in the industry, you’ll want to subscribe!

About the Author

Rich Miller

I write about the places where the Internet lives, telling the story of data centers and the people who build them. I founded Data Center Knowledge, the data center industry's leading news site. Now I'm exploring the future of cloud computing at Data Center Frontier.

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