The data center industry is facing a credibility challenge. As demand for digital infrastructure accelerates, so do questions from communities, customers, investors, and policymakers about energy use, water consumption, carbon emissions, and environmental impact. Sustainability has become a central theme across the sector but so have accusations of greenwashing.

The answer is simple: prove it.

At Rowan, third-party certification is one of the most important tools available to us as we move beyond promises and demonstrate that we are building responsible data centers. Third-party building rating systems such as BREEAM and LEED provide independent validation that sustainability commitments are backed by measurable performance rather than marketing language.

Third-party certification creates accountability. Instead of allowing developers to define sustainability on their own terms, these frameworks establish objective standards against which projects are evaluated. Energy efficiency, embodied carbon, water management, material selection, waste reduction, biodiversity, and operational performance are all assessed through a rigorous, externally verified process.

Independent certification gives customers, investors, and local communities confidence that sustainability outcomes have been measured and validated by experts rather than self-reported by project sponsors.

For Rowan, this philosophy has shaped the sustainability strategy behind some of our largest developments. In Maryland, our 630MW+ Bauxite campus is pursuing BREEAM Excellent certification, one of the world's most recognized international sustainability assessment standards.

The framework evaluates performance across categories including energy, water, materials, management practices, health, and ecological impacts. By pursuing BREEAM Excellent, Rowan is seeking independent verification that sustainability considerations have been integrated throughout the lifecycle of the project, from design and construction through future operations.

All Rowan projects conduct whole building life cycle assessments (LCAs) in the design phase to estimate the embodied carbon impacts of a given building and use that information to optimize materials. LCAs are also conducted towards the end of the projects to validate the total global warming potential (GWP) of the projects with actual material quantities and actual product-specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

Our first Maryland project, Bauxite 1, achieved a 23 percent reduction in embodied carbon, nearly a 17 percent increase in energy efficiency, preserved or planted 28 acres of trees, and recycled more than 75 percent of nonhazardous construction waste.

And you're not going to have to take our word for it.

The certification process itself drives better outcomes. Our teams establish sustainability targets early, collect extensive documentation through the construction phase, evaluate design alternatives, and continuously measure performance throughout development.

In Texas, Rowan applies the same philosophy through the pursuit of LEED Gold certification. Developed by the US Green Building Council, LEED Gold is among the most widely recognized green building standards in North America and evaluates projects across categories such as energy performance, water efficiency, site sustainability, indoor environmental quality, and material selection.

Pursuing LEED Gold certification ensures that sustainability objectives are embedded within project delivery and measured against recognized industry benchmarks. Just as importantly, it provides a level of transparency and accountability that communities increasingly expect. During project execution, third-party rating systems also help ensure sustainability goals remain a priority despite competing project demands.

The growing importance of third-party certification is also changing the way infrastructure is financed. Sustainability performance is no longer viewed solely as an operational or environmental issue. It has become a capital markets issue as well.

Institutional investors, lenders, and infrastructure funds are demanding greater transparency around environmental performance before allocating capital. Independent certification provides a common language that can be understood across financial markets, allowing investors to evaluate projects against established standards rather than individual sustainability claims.

This convergence of sustainability and finance is driving rapid growth in green financing across the data center sector. Rowan's Green Finance Framework, which received a "Strong" rating from Morningstar Sustainalytics in 2025, links capital allocation, more than $4 billion to date, to measurable sustainability outcomes. The framework supports investments in highly efficient data centers, green building certifications, and other qualifying environmental initiatives.

As the digital economy continues to expand, sustainability expectations will only grow. Customers want resilient infrastructure that supports their own ESG objectives. Communities want confidence that development is being undertaken responsibly. Investors want assurance that sustainability claims can withstand scrutiny.

Third-party certification helps answer all three demands.

For the data center industry, the conversation is no longer simply about whether sustainability matters. The question is whether companies can prove it. BREEAM, LEED, and similar certification systems provide that proof. As sustainability becomes increasingly intertwined with financing, regulation, and customer expectations, independent verification may prove to be one of the industry's most valuable assets.

In the years ahead, the most successful data center developers will not be those making the boldest sustainability claims. They will be the ones willing to have those claims independently measured, tested, and verified. That is where trust is built, and where the future of sustainable digital infrastructure will be defined.