EU Accused of Hiding Datacentre Pollution After Tech Lobbying Push

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Brussels: Microsoft and several major US technology companies successfully lobbied the European Union to keep environmental data from individual datacentres confidential, according to a new media investigation.

The report by Investigate Europe, published with partner outlets including The Guardian, alleges that industry requests to shield green performance metrics were incorporated almost word for word into European Commission rules adopted in 2024.

The provision prevents public access to emissions and energy-use data for specific datacentres, leaving researchers and the public with only national-level summaries. Critics say this limits scrutiny of the growing environmental impact of facilities powering cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Datacentres have expanded rapidly amid the rise of AI systems, requiring large amounts of electricity and water. Some of that demand is being met through fossil fuel-based energy sources, increasing climate concerns.

The European Union has set a goal of tripling datacentre capacity over the next five to seven years as it seeks to compete globally in artificial intelligence.

According to the investigation, lobbying submissions during a 2024 public consultation came from Microsoft, DigitalEurope — whose members include Google, Amazon and Meta — as well as Video Games Europe.

Legal experts cited in the report said the blanket confidentiality clause may conflict with EU transparency obligations and the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees public access to environmental information.

A European Commission official reportedly reminded member states last year that all requests from media or the public for individual datacentre data had so far been refused under the secrecy provision.

The Commission and Video Games Europe declined to comment, while DigitalEurope did not respond to requests, according to the report.