The 2020 election of U.S. President Biden signified the climate emergency as a key priority for his administration followed by a bold plan to slash carbon emissions over the next 10 years. With tech emissions now exceeding 6% annually and a large proportion of data centers still powered by coal, will the “net-zero”, “carbon-free energy” and “carbon negative” pledges by the world’s builders of digital infrastructure be enough?

In this panel, we ask our experts what it means to be on the ‘bleeding edge’ of sustainability in the industry. Is site selection across shores awash with renewable power the answer - and what about the challenge of intermittency? How will the underreported challenge of water scarcity be addressed?

And, what about the grey floor - what are the technological leaps they believe are going to architect mass energy efficiencies and quell the growing carbon footprint of our industry at large?

This panel will be followed immediately by a roundtable discussion:

Are operator pledges going far and fast enough to help alleviate climate change?

We invite you to join this roundtable which will start immediately after the panel so we can continue the conversation, debate some of the issues raised, and where you can share your own thoughts and insights, and also find potential collaborators.