{"primaryDescription":"

How will more data centres impact the UK’s climate and nature goals?

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On Wednesday the Environmental Audit Committee will investigate the environmental impact of data centres in the first session of a new inquiry.

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MPs are currently exploring how growing AI use might accelerate the need for data centres and what impact this is likely to have on the UK’s environmental goals and energy infrastructure. 

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As uptake of artificial intelligence has increased, so has demand for data centres to power this new technology. While estimates differ, data centres are expected to require a large amount of energy, leading some to raise concerns about the impact of data centres on the national grid and water resources.

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In the session, MPs are likely to ask about the principal environmental impacts of data centres, and whether sustainability is considered when data centres are planned and developed.

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They are also likely to ask about the government’s AI Growth Zones scheme, whether data centre capacity can expand sustainably, and what involvement communities should have in decisions about data centres.

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