The leading digital infrastructure companies have made an urgent call for the adoption of Product Environmental Declarations (PEDs) in order to accelerate net-zero emissions goals. Scope 3 emissions represent a significant percentage of the carbon footprint of data centers and hyperscalers. PEDs, which detail greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life cycle of a product, are seen as a crucial tool in the fight against climate change.
The iMasons Climate Accord (ICA), an initiative by Infrastructure Masons made up of industry giants such as AWS, Digital Realty, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Schneider Electric, has published an open letter urging all data center providers to offer greater transparency in Scope 3 emissions. These emissions, which are not directly produced by the companies but come from the entire value chain, can account for up to 69% of a data center’s total carbon footprint.
The letter emphasizes the importance of widely adopting standardized PEDs. These documents, verified by third parties, report on a product’s emissions from raw material extraction to final disposal. However, the adoption of PEDs in the data center sector is still limited, something that the ICA aims to change to promote more sustainable decisions in the industry.
Companies that have signed the open letter, including AWS, Google, and Microsoft, have committed to achieving net-zero emissions with deadlines ranging from 2025 to 2040. To meet these ambitious goals, they recognize the need to focus on reducing Scope 3 emissions. AWS’s Eric Wilcox highlighted that the adoption of PEDs will provide greater transparency in the embedded emissions in equipment, thus facilitating a more effective reduction of the sector’s carbon footprint.
Representatives from Google, Microsoft, and Meta also voiced their support for the initiative and noted that the transparency and standardization provided by PEDs are essential for informed and sustainable decision-making. According to Google’s Joe Kava, these efforts not only drive progress towards a more sustainable industry, but also foster a culture of shared responsibility.
The ICA’s open letter is not the first call to action. In April 2023, the same group had already urged providers to use lower-carbon concrete in data center infrastructure, thus emphasizing a series of consistent commitments to decarbonize the sector.
In summary, the adoption of PEDs represents a crucial step for the digital industry to make more conscious decisions aligned with global sustainability goals, reduce its environmental impact, and move towards a more resilient and positive future for the climate.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
