{"id":142795,"date":"2025-05-21T12:46:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T10:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/euro-funding.com\/blog\/data-center-and-sustainability-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-digital-era\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:18:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:18:48","slug":"data-center-and-sustainability-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-digital-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/euro-funding.wp2.rwdesarrollos2.es\/es\/blog\/data-center-and-sustainability-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-digital-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Data center and sustainability: challenges and opportunities in the digital era."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Data center and sustainability: challenges and opportunities in the digital era.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"<\/a><\/div>
Fernando G\u00f3mez<\/span><\/a>(<\/span> Technical Manager - European Funds )<\/span><\/span><\/div>

Fernando G\u00f3mez es Technical Manager \u2013 EU Projects en Euro-Funding<\/strong> desde 2020, con experiencia coordinando propuestas europeas de I+D+i. Especialista en financiaci\u00f3n europea<\/strong>, ha actuado como Technical Manager <\/strong>en programas como Horizon Europe, MSCA, ERC, EIC, LIFE, CBE, Eurostars, Clean Hydrogen, CEF o Innovation Fund<\/strong>, entre otros, y ha coordinado proyectos como REALIZE<\/strong> y ATM-EXCITE<\/strong>. Con m\u00e1s de 17 a\u00f1os de experiencia, ha desempe\u00f1ado funciones de R&D Project Manager<\/strong> en entidades de referencia como HM Hospitales, IMDEA y CIB-CSIC<\/strong>, adem\u00e1s de contar con una s\u00f3lida experiencia previa en bioenerg\u00eda y energ\u00edas renovables<\/strong>. Es evaluador experto<\/strong> para la Comisi\u00f3n Europea (H2020 y Horizon Europe) y para EUREKA<\/strong>, as\u00ed como mentor certificado de startups<\/strong> por la Fundaci\u00f3n Madri+d y asesor acreditado por ACCI\u00d3<\/strong> en los \u00e1mbitos de bioenerg\u00eda y econom\u00eda circular<\/strong>. Es licenciado en Biolog\u00eda Molecular<\/strong> y cuenta con m\u00e1steres en Energ\u00edas Renovables<\/strong> y Econom\u00eda Circular<\/strong>, adem\u00e1s de formaci\u00f3n especializada en gesti\u00f3n de proyectos de I+D+i.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Digital transformation has driven exponential growth in data generation, storage and analysis, becoming an essential pillar of the so-called Industry 4.0. This new paradigm, underpinned by technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things, is not only redefining value chains and business models, but also raising questions about its environmental<\/a> impact. In this context, data processing centers (DPCs) emerge as key infrastructures, but also as major sources of energy consumption and emissions. To what extent can these centers be sustainable<\/a> in an increasingly digitized world? <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Can data centers really be sustainable?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The term \u201cIndustry 4.0\u201d refers to a new model of organization and control of the value chain throughout the product life cycle and across manufacturing systems supported and enabled by information technologies. This Industry 4.0 and the use of new technologies have developed a strong dependence on the use and storage of data. Statistics and advanced data analysis techniques have transformed the way personal data is used, creating a new paradigm where people act simultaneously as providers and receivers of products and services in a globalized environment. <\/p>

From the point of view of the circular economy, digitalization has developed another series of highly innovative tools focused on reducing environmental impact. Data management and the application of digital solutions, such as digital platforms, smart devices, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and blockchain are already today enabling technologies to move towards the circular economy<\/a>. <\/p>

This \u201cFourth Industrial Revolution,\u201d characterized by increased digital connectivity<\/a> between people, products and systems, and driven by the Internet and mobile technology, has been a real catalyst for unlocking a wealth of opportunities.<\/p>

Companies and users looking to adapt to the future need to increase digitization and care for their carbon footprint<\/a> by first improving data capture, internal communication, reporting, analytics and transparency through the use of cloud services and big data. All these improvements will undoubtedly prepare them to gain a competitive advantage. <\/p>

In the case of digital transformation in transportation<\/a>, the change has been preceded by an evolution in the digitization of its procedures.<\/p>

In short, the knowledge-based society<\/a> needs to generate, store, distribute and use this data, and to this end, data processing centers manage the information contained in millions of technological devices. More than 22 billion devices are connected to the Internet according to HelpNetSecurity<\/a>. <\/p>

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The environmental footprint of data processing centers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A data processing center (DPC), also known as a data center or Internet Data Center<\/em> (IDC), is a physical facility where the essential computing resources for a company or service provider are grouped. These spaces, essential for data storage and management, are constantly evolving due to the advancement of technology and growing digital demands. <\/p>

The digital sector is responsible for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions<\/a>. One of the challenges facing the technology sector is environmental<\/a>. The digital world, although it seems intangible, is based on a whole network of servers, network infrastructures and data centers that make it responsible for global greenhouse gas emissions. <\/p>

The consumption of electronic products and digital services has an environmental cost, as studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change<\/a> (IPCC) show. DATA4 also warns this on the basis of GeSI SMARTer 2030<\/a> data. And the volume of users, data and thus energy requirements is growing steadily. <\/p>

According to National Geographic<\/a> magazine, \u201cevery minute 38 million WhatsApp messages are sent worldwide, 266,000 hours of Netflix are viewed, 4.3 million YouTube videos are watched and 3.7 million Google searches are performed, according to data from analytics company Cumulus Media published in Visual Capitalist. If the Internet were a country, it would be the sixth most polluting in the world. This is according to data from the Greenpeace organization in its report Clicking Clean<\/a>\u201d. <\/p>

The main contributor to the environmental footprint of PDCs<\/a> is the energy required to run their infrastructure. Data centers, mobile antennas and the devices needed to access the Internet require large amounts of electricity. <\/p>

To compensate for voltage drops, large batteries are stored in data centers, like those in cars. Sometimes even huge diesel generators are used. The Internet is growing all the time, autonomous cars are on the horizon, portable devices and connected homes are on the rise. The cloud is expanding and there will be more and more data to process and store. To date, there are nine million data centers worldwide. And those on U.S. soil alone use 10% of the nation’s energy. <\/p>

Jon Koomey, a professor at Stanford University, is one of the few who has calculated this impact and says that Internet use, taking into account all the elements that make it work, accounts for 8-10% of our energy consumption. Data centers account for 1.52%. For Jon Koomey, an expert in technological environmental impact, the most important elements to measure are what he calls \u201cthe big three<\/a>\u201d: <\/p>

  1. The equipment we use to access the Internet (computers, tablets, laptops, routers).<\/li>
  2. Data centers (which store and host the web pages).<\/li>
  3. Access networks (the cabling and antennas that carry the data).<\/li><\/ol>

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    The Internet and its contribution to climate change<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    According to the consulting firm Gartner, the Internet’s carbon footprint<\/a> surpassed that of the aviation industry as early as 2007, representing approximately 2% of global CO\u2082 emissions. More recent research by the Center of Excellence in Telecommunications Networks (CEET) in Australia estimated in 2013 that the telecommunications sector generated around 830 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, with a projection of doubling that figure by 2020 due to the accelerated growth of digital traffic and the intensive use of technological infrastructures. <\/p>

    Each search we perform on the Internet releases 0.2 grams of CO2 into the environment<\/a>, which, according to Google itself<\/a>, means that the greenhouse effect caused by a thousand searches would be equivalent to driving a car for one kilometer.<\/p>

    This huge ecological footprint is increasing all the time, making data centers one of the industries that will have the greatest impact on environmental conditions in the future, generating an additional cost for companies due to the pollution they generate.<\/p>

    This has led to the emergence of a green trend, which is driving major operators and leading colocation companies toward new, greener construction and operation policies for their facilities. And, in order to achieve maximum operating efficiency over the next decade, to generate less environmental impact while reducing operating costs, experts point to a number of key technologies: <\/p>