Érika Marques

UFPE, Brazil

Title: The Growing Challenge of Data Centers and Socio-Environmental Impacts

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Biography

Érika is a PhD from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, in the Postgraduate Program in Development and Environment, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (2006), a specialization in Environmental Management and Control from the University of Pernambuco (2007), and a Master's degree in Environmental Technology from the Pernambuco Institute of Technology in 2010. She completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Management Technology from Estácio University (2022).

Abstract

The datacenter market is growing rapidly worldwide, thanks to increased demand for data storage and high demand for Artificial Intelligence and cloud processing. The objective of this study is to identify the main socio-environmental impacts related to datacenters. A survey was conducted in the main databases. To meet this demand, platforms require a high volume of energy and water. However, these facilities are highly energy-intensive, which can put pressure on local water resources. In this sense water consumption in datacenters is a growing challenge, specially in countries who are already facing water shortages. Datacenters are responsible for approximately 4% of global energy consumption and 1% of global GHG emissions. This has been affecting the population in terms of access to energy and water, cost of living, and even public health. Some companies in the industry are investing in renewable energy, but not at the same speed or scale as they are building new datacenters. Also we cannot ignore the electronic waste resulting from datacenters. The absence of robust guidelines can contribute to the reproduction of development models that generate significant socio-environmental impacts. Datacenters are being installed by big tech companies in locations where they can find cheap land, water, and electricity, as well as permissive environmental standards, putting fundamental rights of the population at risk. The combination of these factors — reduced operating costs and less stringent environmental regulations — creates a worrying scenario, especially in areas that already face water scarcity, problems with energy distribution, or conflicts over land use. However, the full scale and potential environmental impacts of these projects are not fully known under the guise of being "corporate secrets". Technology should contribute to building a society where social justice goes hand in hand with the safeguarding of nature, rather than exploiting natural systems.