Achieving Genuine Sustainability in Data Center Operations Without ‘Greenwashing’

In today’s data centers, two things are true: enterprises want the latest tech, and they want partners serious about sustainability.

But let’s be honest — it’s a tall order. With energy demands climbing to support AI, staying true to sustainability goals while building increasingly powerful facilities is harder than it looks.

As data centers race to scale up for AI and high-performance computing (HPC), operators (especially hyperscalers) are feeling the heat for walking back net-zero promises. Some have even been accused of “greenwashing,” where companies overstate their environmental efforts to boost their public image.

A recent RepRisk report found that between September 2022 and September 2023, one in four ESG-related climate incidents involved greenwashing — up from one in five the year before. As community concerns grow around water use, energy, greenwashing, and rural construction, it’s time for data centers to lead with transparency, real metrics, and long-term solutions, even as regulatory frameworks evolve.

So where do we start? By committing to sustainability in ways that are both real and meaningful — without the hype. Here’s what we’ve learned on our journey and how we’re continuing to build facilities that deliver tangible benefits for the communities we serve.

1. Make Sustainability a Priority from the Start

Sustainability cannot be an afterthought or a checkbox to tick off. It must be ingrained into the core values and operations of the company. True success with sustainability requires a fundamental shift in mindset and practices. It’s about recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic factors and integrating sustainability into every aspect of the business, from product design to supply chain management, including:

• Optimizing for Energy Efficiency: Utilizing energy-efficient equipment, like servers and direct-to-chip liquid cooling, as well as optimizing workload distribution can lower overall power usage effectiveness (PUE).
• Employing Renewables: With pressing grid constraints, it’s more important than ever that data centers consider renewables and on-site power generation to power their facilities. Powering data centers with renewable energy sources like solar or wind, either through on-site generation or power purchase agreements, can substantially reduce carbon footprints.
• Cut Out WaterWaste: Transitioning to water-efficient cooling technologies, such as closed loop cooling systems, and utilizing free cooling capabilities can greatly minimize water usage. Direct-to-chip cooling provides the double whammy of saving water and saving energy in the long run.
• Don’t Throw Away Precious Resources: Capturing and repurposing excess server heat can provide heat for other parts of your facility, and solutions like rainwater harvesting are another way to reduce and reuse precious water resources.
• Design Sustainably: Constructing facilities with sustainable materials and designing for energy efficiency from the ground up ensures long-term environmental benefits.

If data centers only commit to being green in theory, but not in practice, they’ll never achieve a true impact on power usage, water consumption, heat reuse or electrical grid stress – all of which are imperative strides the data center needs to make. 

2. Select Like-Minded Vendors and Partners

By aligning with like-minded organizations, data centers can amplify their impact and drive positive change throughout the supply chain. While many are laser-focused on addressing immediate concerns through reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, there’s a major opportunity further up the supply chain within Scope 3 emissions. 

In fact, as facilities continue to work toward those Scope 1 and 2 reductions, the impact of Scope 3 emissions is suggested to account for a larger portion of total greenhouse gas emissions.  This means the ball doesn’t stop with your own facilities and organization. Instead, it should be a collective effort extended beyond your reach throughout your supply chain. While finding the right ways to track Scope 3 emissions is still a challenge for the industry at large, the most effective place to start is to prioritize working with suppliers who are willing to engage in and report on their energy use in ways that will benefit your overall sustainability goals.  

3. Set Ambitious ESG and Carbon Emission Goals

Setting clear (ESG) goals is essential for measuring progress. Setting goals focused on reducing carbon emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and minimizing waste generation are great ways to show the measurable impact of actions taken. By tracking performance against these goals and regularly reporting results to stakeholders, data centers can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability transparency. 

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) are among the most common metrics reported, but there are additional points of performance to consider, including Technology Carbon Efficiency (TCE), Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE), Cooling Capacity Factor, and more. What you can measure, you can improve. 

4. Allocate Budget for Sustainable Practices

It’s reported that over 80% of companies are now starting to implement budget allocation for ESG efforts, and those who aren’t investing will fall behind. Companies that allocate funds for exploring sustainable practices, whether it’s investing in renewable energy projects, upgrading infrastructure for energy efficiency, or supporting employee engagement programs, will be the ones that see the most tangible results. 

Sustainability at Novva

At Novva, we’re proud to say that sustainability is part of our DNA. Our facilities are creatively designed and engineered with efficiency and sustainability in mind. Renewable energy, liquid cooling, on-site power generation, rainfall water recapture and HVO-powered backup generators are just a few of the forward-thinking technologies we build into our facilities from day one to uphold our commitment to creating greener data centers. 

Read more about the unique features of each of our facilities here.