As digital infrastructure capacity continues to increase exponentially, doubling or potentially tripling over the next decade, will carbon emissions follow suit? This time of rapid growth coincides with commitments from the world’s biggest companies to decarbonize and, ultimately, achieve net-zero carbon emissions. Our industry’s collective power represents an opportunity both to reduce our collective carbon footprint and to deliver on the unprecedented demand. It shapes purchasing behavior, decarbonization markets, voluntary and regulatory policies, and construction and operation best practices.
As noted in the SOTI, we are at an inflection point: Digital infrastructure’s growth trajectory and decarbonization are diametrically opposed. Indeed, the industry has publicly reported increasing carbon emissions over 2020 baselines due to this growth. The iMasons Climate Accord (ICA) and its member companies are focused on decarbonization, as the planet cannot lose out to the demand for digital services and shareholder value. Incentivizing carbon avoidance projects, cost-efficient carbon sequestration, and holistic carbon accounting are key components. The process starts with budget tracking for carbon. We need to know our carbon debt and planned increases to develop and deliver on actions to reduce that debt rapidly to zero.
