Measuring the environmental impact of data centers to take more effective action

Based on international ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, LCA is currently the most rigorous method for assessing the environmental impacts of a data center throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to decommissioning, including construction and operation.
This white paper presents the results of an LCA conducted on Data4's DC19 data center, located in Marcoussis, Essonne (France), operational since 2023, with the following characteristics:

• IT floor area: 2,025 m²
• IT power: 5 MW
• PUE: 1.43
• Service life: 20 years

The results (excluding servers) show that the production of equipment and materials (including concrete and steel) accounts for 39% of the total carbon footprint over a 20-year period. The operational phase accounts for 48% of this footprint.
The analysis also reveals that the direct water consumption of the analyzed data center is minimal (less than 0.1%), with the major water impact being indirectly linked to electricity production.
Furthermore, over 20 years, the carbon footprint of a 5 MW IT data center is estimated at 12.6 million kg CO₂ eq, equivalent to the carbon emissions of fewer than 300 French citizens.
By making these detailed data public, Data4 and APL Data Center intend to demonstrate that it is possible to reconcile digital development and environmental responsibility, provided that rigorous measurement is used to take more effective action.