Data centre managers concerned about EU green rules

Nearly three-quarters of European data centre managers are concerned about the impact that environmental regulation could have on data centres - although 60 percent of companies now have green data centre policies in place.

According to a survey from Campos Research, nearly 70 percent of data centre professionals were concerned about the effect that the EU's new Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) regulations would have on their operations.

According to the survey, which was carried out on behalf of data centre provider Digital Reality Trust, most companies are now asking searching questions of their data centre provider and are investigating expertise in areas such knowledge of current regulations and emerging Green standards, of LEED or BREEAM certification and the ability to meet ISO 14001 and Green Grid standards. More than half of them would reject a supplier with no green strategy. Other key areas were the use of recycled materials and efficient transportation.

"This survey clearly shows that there is a high level of concern about the impact of Green regulations on datacentre facilities. While the new Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) regulations in the EU address a number of questions about the new rules, new concerns about how companies will achieve compliance have arisen. That uncertainty is reflected in these results in terms of how the new rules will impact operations, finance and customer relations," said Jim Smith, CTO of Digital Realty Trust.

While reducing energy costs was seen as crucial, improving a corporate image to customers was also seen as an important part of the move towards being green. And despite the financial situation, 58 percent of respondents had increased their focus on green initiatives and 69 percent revealed that carbon credits were part of their strategy.