25 September, SDG Flag Day
To mark the anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Data4 is taking stock of its commitments to sustainability
As one of Europe’s leading data center operators, we want to set an example in terms of sustainable development and involve both our customers and our partners in our efforts.
Given our sector of activity and the four pillars on which our dedicated sustainability programme, Data4Good, is based (the environment, innovation, social issues, and community engagement), we work on a daily basis to meet and exceed eight SDGs.
The environment:
Our “energy efficiency” action plan: in particular, we use free cooling/free chilling technologies that use cool outdoor air to cool computer rooms and reduce the electricity consumption of conventional cooling systems, as well as an innovative, patented air-conditioning system using a ceiling diffuser.
Our “reducing greenhouse gas emissions” action plan: we use low-carbon concrete to build our new data centers, low-carbon fuel for our generators, and refrigerants with very low global warming potential (GWP) in all our new data centers.
Our “optimised water management” action plan: we do not use waste water or “adiabatic” cooling systems to cool our data centers. Thanks to this technology, we have succeeded in reducing the water usage effectiveness (WUE) of our Marcoussis campus (Essonne) to 0.06 litres/kWh, i.e. the equivalent of a cup of Lungo coffee; the average WUE in the data center industry is around 1 litre/kWh.
Our “waste treatment” action plan: our waste treatment programme involves all our stakeholders (employees, customers, service providers, tenants, visitors) and is designed to promote the environmental solutions with the lowest impact, in particular within the framework of the ISO 14001 standard for which we are certified. Our campus in Marcoussis (Essonne) was awarded the GreenCircle “Waste Diversion from Landfill” certification in June 2023 for its virtuous waste management.
Our “ontributing to global carbon neutrality” action plan: while our no. 1 priority is still to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, not all such emissions can be avoided. That is why, through a partnership with Fransylva, a federation representing private forest owners in dealings with the French and European public authorities, we finance reforestation projects by sequestering our residual Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
- Social & societal
Our “health & safety” and “well-being at work” action plans: health and safety at work are an absolute priority for Data4 and we have implemented an organisation and processes to achieve a “zero accident” objective on all our campuses in Europe. In addition, as part of our ongoing drive to improve the working environment for all the Group’s employees, we launched the “Cross-border Team” project in 2022 to build solid bridges between our employees across Europe.
Our “diversity, equity and inclusion” action plan: at the end of 2022, women made up 33% of the Executive Committee (37% of the Management Committee). We also work with companies from the sheltered and adapted sectors to manage our green spaces and, on our Marcoussis campus, we welcome trainees from the “Les Plombiers du Numérique” non-profit organisation for training as data center technicians.
Our “relations with the local ecosystem and economy” action plan: we have established close relations with the main economic networks, the leading associations in our sector, and the local authorities in the regions where we operate, i.e. in France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Luxembourg, and soon in Germany, in order to keep abreast of developments and take a proactive approach, particularly in terms of sustainability.
More information on our actions in our ESG report
