The race to build new data centers in Asia continues to heat up. But the constraints in constructing additional facilities in Singapore because of limited space and environmental concerns have prompted data center operators to explore options in neighboring countries. As a result in Southeast Asia, Indonesia for example, has emerged as a promising contender – boasting a thriving economy, a burgeoning startup ecosystem, and a tech-savvy consumer base of more than 215 million people. 

However, while beneficial for the economy, the data center boom raises environmental concerns. Data centers account for more than 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally, primarily due to their energy-intensive cooling and redundancy systems. These increased emissions can translate to rising global temperatures. In fact, the United Nations' 2021 Emissions Gap Report predicts that global temperatures will increase by 2.7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century if nothing is done to address this issue.

Thus, now more than ever, there is a pressing need for organizations to reflect on the environmental impact of data centers and find ways to balance technological progress with sustainability. 

Why Should Organizations Adopt Sustainable Data Centers? 

Leveraging green data centers offers numerous tangible business benefits. Firstly, they can help to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the fight against climate change. This is especially critical in Indonesia, where the government has committed to reach net zero emissions by 2060 or before – an ambitious task given the country’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels.

Beyond environmental considerations, sustainable data centers are designed to be more energy-efficient, translating to lower operational costs through reduced electricity consumption. While some may argue that establishing green data centers requires significant expenditure initially, investments in sustainability can pay off over time as energy and resource costs continue to rise.

Thirdly, with sustainability among the top concerns in the global agenda, policymakers are increasingly tightening regulations governing carbon emissions and environmental impact. As such, organizations face rising regulatory risks, such as taxation, reputational costs, and litigation. Sustainable data centers can help organizations comply with these regulations and avoid potential fines. 

With these benefits in mind, how can companies take the first step toward making a change?

Understanding Carbon Consumption Drivers to Make Effective Changes 

The good news is that 92 percent of IT decision-makers say sustainability is more important than a year ago, according to the 5th annual Enterprise Cloud Index. One of the first aspects of the business that leaders evaluate when looking to reduce their environmental footprint is IT. This is because small changes in equipment or practices have the potential to make a large impact on energy consumption and emissions. 

Hence, for companies looking to advance their sustainability journey, the first move is to understand what drives their carbon and power footprint. Some readily available tools in the market, such as the Nutanix Carbon and Power Estimator, can help enterprises take the initiative by educating them on factors that can influence their environmental impact. Based on users' inputs regarding workloads, data center efficiency, and location, such tools can help conceptualize how different IT choices can help them meet their sustainability goals, with insights for developing more effective strategies.

Plugging into Renewable Energy

In addition to leveraging software technology, companies can take steps to reduce their emissions by incorporating renewable energy sources into data center operations. Across the globe, major players in the data center industry have made promises to transition to renewable energy sources in the next decade. Microsoft, for example, has declared its commitment to phasing out diesel fuel usage in its data centers and investing in hydrogen-based energy systems. Similarly, Equinix, a global data center giant, unveiled plans to establish a research team dedicated to investigating the adoption of hydrogen fuel cells within its data centers.

Fortunately, some modern data centers are designed to run partially or entirely on renewable energy, thus reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. This strategy also aligns closely with the Indonesian government’s plans to boost renewable energy use – particularly geothermal, hydropower, and solar power – and its ambition to raise the proportion of renewables in its energy mix to 23 percent by 2025.

Implementing Strong Data Hygiene Practices 

On an individual level, another way to minimize carbon impact is through robust data hygiene practices. From being mindful of what data is stored, deleting what has become unnecessary, archiving where needed, removing duplicate files, and using a shared drive – these actions may appear inconsequential, but collectively, it can have a significant impact. 

However, for businesses, this task becomes more complex. Thus, it would be a good idea to focus on the top storage consumers – whether it's large files or databases – to ensure there aren't redundant copies kept and that they are stored in the most efficient way possible. There are exceptions, of course, with some organizations having data policies and procedures that may require them to keep specific files for reasons such as compliance.

Overall, green data centers seemed like an improbable fantasy only a few years ago. However, what used to seem like a dream is now a reality. By gaining greater visibility and understanding of their environmental footprint, incorporating renewable energy, and practicing strong data hygiene, companies across all industries can forge a path to a more sustainable planet. This is made possible by technology itself, not despite it.

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Han Chon is the Managing Director, SEATHK at Nutanix.