Schneider Electric, a global leader in digital energy management and automation, is pioneering sustainability efforts within the data center industry by releasing a revised standardised environmental metrics-reporting framework.
This framework is designed to help data center businesses effectively measure their sustainability efforts and align with global climate pledges to reduce their environmental impact.
The revised environmental metrics-reporting framework comes as a follow-up to the original whitepaper published in November 2021. It was developed to set industry standards for sustainability metrics reporting within the data center sector, making it the first of its kind. Schneider Electric takes sustainability seriously, and in 2023, they gathered feedback from customers and industry associations to update the whitepaper.
This revised framework includes 28 key sustainability metrics, categorized into five sections: energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste, and the local ecosystem. It is designed to cater to data center companies at various stages in their sustainability journey, offering metrics for different reporting levels, including Beginning, Advanced, and Leading.
In the Beginning stage, there are six core metrics that cover basic reporting on energy, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions. The Advanced stage introduces more detailed metrics for energy, water, and GHG emissions, as well as new categories covering waste and the local ecosystem. The Leading stage offers even more advanced metrics in existing categories.
Schneider Electric’s initiative aims to address the issue of differing metrics used by data center operators, making it challenging to compare and benchmark sustainability progress. By providing a standardized data-driven approach, the company seeks to enable better alignment and prioritization for data center sustainability efforts and improve credibility and comparability in sustainability reporting. The framework also aims to establish industry benchmarks for environmental changes, helping organizations make valuable contributions to a greener future.
According to Pankaj Sharma, Executive Vice President of the Secure Power Division and Data Center Business at Schneider Electric, standardization is essential to align on areas that require improvement and prioritization. Additionally, standardized reporting will help identify and resolve reporting discrepancies, ensuring that stakeholders’ expectations are met. By implementing these standardized metrics, data center organizations can address regulatory requirements more effectively and work collectively toward meaningful environmental changes.
To ensure the sustainable development of data centers, industry-wide commitment, investment, and collaboration are vital. The adoption of standardized metrics for measurement and regular public reporting will help data centers minimize their environmental impact while meeting the growing demand for digital services.
For more comprehensive and informed decision-making, the framework provides detailed metrics in various categories, including energy, GHG emissions, water, waste, and the local ecosystem. In the energy category, there’s a new metric called “Server utilization (ITEUsv)” designed to guide efforts to reduce the number of servers needed for information processing. The “Water” category now includes “Water replenishment” to promote better water stewardship. The “Waste” category has expanded to include “E-waste” and “Battery” metrics, in addition to existing metrics like “Waste generated” and “Waste diversion rate.” The “Local ecosystem” category now includes metrics such as “Total land use,” “Land-use intensity,” and “Outdoor noise” to measure the direct and indirect impact on biodiversity. A holistic approach to measuring the maturity level of each metric is recommended, inspired by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, providing a useful tool for ongoing progress measurement. Industry benchmark values and target values are also included for key metrics, enabling data center organizations to gauge their performance.
This updated framework coincides with the release of Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Resource Advisor Copilot. This conversational AI tool enhances energy and sustainability data analysis, visualization, decision support, and performance optimization. It offers a convenient digital companion that empowers energy and sustainability teams with improved capabilities to process complex industry knowledge and Resource Advisor system information. The private beta for this tool launched in September, with general availability expected in late 2023 or early 2024.
Schneider Electric has continuously integrated AI enhancements into its Sustainability Business division. Some of these enhancements include AI-enabled risk optimization, invoice validation services, and peak alert notifications. Each software solution in the Sustainability Business portfolio, which includes Zeigo Network, Zeigo Activate, and Zeigo Power, is supported by data science, machine learning, and AI automation, demonstrating Schneider Electric’s commitment to driving sustainability within the data center industry. By providing standardized metrics, Schneider Electric aims to help the industry make progress and move collectively towards a greener, more sustainable digital future.
In an industry marked by rapid growth and technological advancement, data center companies must ensure that their operations are sustainable and environmentally responsible. Schneider Electric’s revised environmental metrics-reporting framework offers a practical solution to these challenges, enabling data center organizations to make more informed decisions, track their sustainability efforts, and contribute to a greener digital future.
