Global coalition including BRE launches drive to green AI data centres

A coalition of leading built environment and green finance organisations, including the Building Research Establishment (BRE), has been launched to develop global standards aimed at improving the sustainability of AI-driven data centres.

The new Greening AI Data Centres Coalition (GADCC) brings together nine international bodies spanning building certification, sustainability benchmarking and climate finance. Its objective is to establish clear, consistent definitions of what constitutes a “green” data centre and to help direct investment towards lower-impact developments.

The initiative comes amid rapid growth in digital infrastructure driven by artificial intelligence, with data centres now accounting for around 1.5-2% of global electricity consumption – a figure expected to more than double by 2030.

Concerns over energy demand, water use and wider environmental impacts have prompted calls for more robust standards. In some regions, large facilities consume water volumes comparable to a small city, intensifying pressure on already constrained resources.

The Greening AI Data Centres Coalition (GADCC) brings together a mix of building standards bodies, financial institutions and sustainability frameworks. The nine founding organisations are:

• Building Research Establishment (BRE)
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• World Green Building Council (WorldGBC)
• Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)
• Climate Bonds Initiative
• Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)
• Green Building Initiative (GBI)
• Asia Green Building Council (Asia GBC)
• UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Together, the group spans the full value chain, from certification and performance standards to investors and policy advocacy, reflecting the coalition’s aim to align both technical benchmarks and financing mechanisms for greener data centre delivery.

The coalition’s initial programme will focus on developing internationally aligned performance criteria covering energy use, carbon emissions, water consumption, waste, biodiversity and community impact. It will also support the creation of green finance tools, such as sustainability-linked loans and green bonds, tied to verified performance benchmarks.

BRE will contribute its expertise in building performance and certification, including integration with its BREEAM methodology, to help translate the coalition’s metrics into practical tools for design, construction and operation.

James Fisher, BRE’s head of strategic partnerships, said collaboration across the sector would be essential as digital infrastructure expands. “As AI infrastructure continues to grow, approaches grounded in recognised standards will be key to delivering more sustainable outcomes for buildings, infrastructure and the communities they serve,” he said.

Backers of the initiative argue that without consistent benchmarks, the rapid expansion of data centres risks undermining decarbonisation efforts and placing additional strain on energy networks and water supplies. The coalition aims to shift the market towards a “build right” approach, embedding sustainability and resilience from the outset of project development.