News and Insights

Data Centres, AI & Sustainability – The Growing Credibility Crisis

March 6, 2025

The data centre industry is at a crossroads. Sustainability has moved from an aspirational talking point to an urgent crisis driven by rising energy consumption, regulatory pressure and public scrutiny. It’s not just about environmental responsibility anymore – it’s about credibility, trust and the industry’s long-term survival. With Data Centre World taking place in London next week, the industry will be even further under the microscope.

Data centres already consume more than 460 terawatt hours of electricity each year – which is 1.3 per cent of the world’s entire supply (about the same as France) – and that number is expected to double by 2026, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The rise of AI is only making things worse, with large-scale models demanding massive amounts of processing power and space. The UK Chancellor recently unveiledplans to speed up the delivery of new data centres to build more infrastructure and support AI-led developments.

For marketers, this is much more than a communications challenge. It’s a balancing act with extremely high stakes. On one hand, regulators and the public are calling for greener data centres. Meanwhile, the same public is driving an insatiable demand for power-hungry AI applications – covering retail, healthcare, customer service, entertainment and everything in between.

It’s a tense landscape of conflicting priorities – and data centre marketers are caught in the middle.

A multifaceted communications challenge

Some providers are making serious investments in greener energy, improved efficiency and next-generation cooling technologies. But without clear messaging, even the best efforts risk going unnoticed – or worse, being dismissed as greenwashing.

Silence isn’t a safe strategy either. Failing to engage in the conversation leaves plenty of room for speculation, criticism and competitors to take control of the narrative. But vague promises or overblown claims will also backfire in a market that’s more sceptical than ever. Investors, customers and regulators value hard data, clear targets and full transparency over a series of feel-good statements about sustainability.

Another challenge is inconsistency. The industry still lacks a unified approach to measuring and reporting sustainability, making it difficult to compare efforts across providers. What does ‘carbon neutral’ actually mean? When every provider has its own benchmarks, integrity takes a big hit.

And finally, there’s messaging fatigue. In recent years, sustainability has become a core part of corporate branding, but in a crowded market where every tech company claims to be green, it’s harder than ever to stand out. The brands that own the conversation will set the standard. The ones that rely on generic claims will fade into obscurity.

Owning the conversation

 For sustainability messaging to be credible, it must go beyond regulatory box-ticking and demonstrate measurable impact. Nobody expects perfection, but ignoring challenges raises red flags. Acknowledging obstacles and showing a realistic plan to overcome them builds trust.

The brands that can communicate their progress with confidence, meaning and clarity will be well-placed to lead the conversation. The rest will be rushing to react when their story is written by someone else.

How FINN Partners can help

At FINN Partners, we specialise in creating impactful announcements that capture attention and achieve communication goals. Get in touch with us to explore how we can support your public relations needs.