EDO principles for responsible data centre development
Australia has an opportunity to get data centre development right. They’re the defining development of the decade and the decisions made today could inform environmental outcomes for a generation or more.
Data centres can deliver economic and technological benefits, but those benefits should not come at the expense of Australia’s climate, water, biodiversity, cultural heritage, or communities.
Getting the rules right now will provide greater certainty for communities, governments and industry, avoid costly environmental and infrastructure problems later, and ensure Australia’s digital future strengthens — rather than undermines — a sustainable and climate-resilient future.
EDO has developed the following data centre principles to provide a clear pathway for planning, assessment and approval of ecologically sustainable and community safe data centres and associated infrastructure and use of resources.
1. A moratorium is established until ecologically sustainable and community safe regulations are in place across Australia.
2. A national, legislated, enforceable and ecologically sustainable regulatory framework be developed and apply to all data centres in Australia.
3. Data centres must be powered by their own, additional, renewable energy sources only, and must further the energy transition, not undermine it.
4. Data centres must be designed to have minimal impacts on water resources.
5. Pre-planning and strategic environmental assessments must be undertaken nationally to ensure appropriate siting of data centres to mitigate risk of impacts.
6. Data centre design must include air, sensory, and chemical pollution and heat discharge mitigation measures.
7. Data centre design must include whole-of-life impacts and cost assessments, including measures to minimise waste and e-waste, and recycling or responsible disposal and decommissioning.
8. Data centre design must consider future climate change impacts on the environment and communities.
9. Data centre regulation and development must provide for effective and meaningful First Nations engagement, participation and consent in the design, delivery, and benefits of data centres.
10. Certain areas and impacts must be identified as unacceptable and off-limits for data centres.
11. Data centres must avoid and minimise impacts, and only use carbon and biodiversity offsets for unavoidable impacts as a last resort.
12. Data centre proposals must be subject to community engagement and consultation, to ensure data centres have social licence.
13. All data centres must comply with human rights obligations and environmental justice principles, and be subject to mandatory due diligence requirements.
14. Data centres must be subject to robust reporting and transparency requirements, and planning and assessment processes must ensure transparent and accountable decision-making.
