Research Consortium Publishes Roadmap for Sustainable Data-Centre Cooling
300-Page ICEF Report Addresses Water, Energy, and Carbon Challenges Amid AI-Driven Construction Boom
Palo Alto, Calif. – December 1, 2025 – A global research consortium led by the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) today released a comprehensive roadmap outlining actionable strategies for sustainable data-centre cooling, as artificial intelligence and cloud computing drive unprecedented construction of energy-intensive facilities worldwide.
The “Sustainable Data Centers Roadmap,” supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and coordinated by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, delivers evidence-based recommendations to reduce water consumption, carbon emissions, and energy demand across the sector. The 300-plus-page report arrives as data centres consume approximately 1.5 percent of global electricity, a figure projected to double by 2030 without intervention.
Water usage presents a critical challenge, particularly in drought-prone regions where facilities rely on evaporative cooling. The roadmap emphasizes that while data centres’ water use remains small globally, local impacts can be severe. Innovations highlighted in the report include direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems that eliminate ongoing municipal water consumption. Microsoft’s newest AI-optimized data centres demonstrate this approach, saving over 125,000 cubic meters of water annually per facility through closed-loop circulation that dissipates heat without evaporation . The report urges operators to adopt such technologies, maximize concentration cycles, and integrate rainwater capture systems to achieve water neutrality.
“Smart siting is key to reducing the energy, water, and carbon emissions impacts of data centers,” said David Sandalow, coordinating lead author and former U.S. Under Secretary of Energy. “The construction boom underway globally means decisions made today will lock in environmental impacts for decades. This roadmap provides the technical and policy guidance needed to get it right.”
The consortium identified five core messages: the urgency of acting during the current construction surge; dramatic variation in environmental impacts based on design and location; the primacy of strategic site selection; significant local water concerns despite modest global usage; and pervasive data gaps on greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. The report compiles analysis from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Carbon Direct, and leading academic institutions to address these gaps.
Technical solutions detailed in the roadmap extend beyond cooling. Direct-to-chip liquid cooling reduces power usage effectiveness (PUE) to as low as 1.11 in optimized facilities, according to Google’s operational data, while maintaining performance for GPU-intensive AI workloads. Embodied carbon in construction emerges as another priority; Microsoft’s mass timber data centre designs cut structural carbon by up to 65 percent compared to conventional concrete. The roadmap recommends low-carbon steel alternatives, such as those produced by near-zero-emission plants, and circular economy practices that divert 90 percent of operational waste from landfills.
Market data underscore the imperative for action. The International Energy Agency’s 4E program reports that AI-focused data centres could consume between 620 and 880 terawatt-hours annually by 2030, depending on adoption scenarios. Meanwhile, NTT Global Data Centers achieved a 28 percent emissions reduction in fiscal 2024 while maintaining an average PUE of 1.38 across its portfolio and contracting 11 megawatts of external heat recovery, demonstrating commercial viability of sustainable practices.
The roadmap provides region-specific implementation guides for policymakers, utilities, and operators. Recommendations include: mandating water usage effectiveness (WUE) reporting; aligning data-centre development with renewable energy zones; establishing heat-export partnerships with district heating systems; and creating tiered sustainability certification programs. The consortium will host briefings for regulators in Washington, Brussels, and Tokyo throughout Q1 2026.
Implementation is already accelerating. Major operators including Microsoft, Google, and NTT have committed to net-zero emissions targets by 2040 or earlier, while the Symbiosis Coalition—co-founded by Microsoft—aims to procure 20 million metric tons of nature-based carbon removal credits by 2030. The roadmap provides the scientific foundation to scale these efforts industry-wide.
About the Consortium
The Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) is an international initiative fostering technological innovation to address climate change. The Sustainable Data Centers Roadmap was developed in partnership with Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Carbon Direct, and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), with contributions from over 20 leading researchers in energy, engineering, and environmental science.
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