Colt DCS: Data Centre Solutions Firm Cuts Emissions by 27%

Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS) has recorded a 27% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3 categories compared to a 2019 baseline.

The figures, published in the company’s fourth annual Sustainability Report, detail the ongoing decarbonisation of its operations and facility developments worldwide.

Alongside the drop in absolute emissions, the operator sourced 100% renewable electricity for its Scope 2 market-based footprint during 2025 through renewable energy certificates.

Across all three scopes, renewable sources accounted for 90% of the firm’s total energy consumption.

These metrics follow a double materiality assessment carried out in 2024 to map the company’s environmental, social and governance priorities.

Updating the global reference design

A core element of the 2025 performance data relates to the advancement of the operator’s Global Reference Design (GRD).

This architectural blueprint establishes a repeatable framework for new sites while allowing adaptations for local regulatory and environmental requirements. 

The updated design focuses on integrating energy-efficient infrastructure and lower-embodied carbon materials directly into the construction phase.

“As the growth of AI introduces new efficiency challenges for data centre operators across the globe, we continue to advance how we design, build and operate our data centres,” says Dina Nassar, Sustainability Lead at Colt DCS.

“Our revised GRD underpins the efficiency gains made in 2025, by ensuring lower embodied carbon materials and advanced cooling technologies are baked in at the design stage.”

Advances in data centre cooling

To manage water consumption efficiently, the standard design incorporates chilled water setups that utilise low global warming potential refrigerants.

These configurations run with near-zero water consumption and are paired with rainwater harvesting arrays designated for non-potable indoor application.

Plus, closed-loop liquid cooling architecture circulates coolant within a sealed loop, transferring heat without relying on evaporation.

By standardising these technologies, the data centre provider targets an annualised power usage effectiveness below 1.2 for new builds.

In 2025, the global portfolio operated with an average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.41. The development framework also sets waste management goals, aiming to divert 75% of construction and demolition debris alongside 90% of operational waste from landfill.

Certifications and net-zero tracking

“We are proud of the progress made in reducing absolute emissions in 2025 as we continue advancing towards our 2045 net zero target,” says Anthea van Scherpenzeel, Head of Environmental Sustainability at Colt DCS.

“Whole life carbon assessments are helping customers and partners identify key sources of value-chain emissions and understand the impact of design and procurement decisions.

“Through close collaboration with suppliers and industry partners, we are confident we can continue delivering projects at speed and scale while making steady progress towards our SBTi targets.”

Progress on site-level sustainability includes securing TRUE Zero Waste certification at three specific facilities: London North in the UK, alongside Tokyo Inzai 1-3 and Osaka Keihanna in Japan. 

From a compliance perspective, the company maintained ISO 27001 for information security management worldwide and ISO 14001 for environmental management throughout its European and UK footprint. 

Colt DCS was also recognised at the Data Centre World Awards as the Best Talent Developer of the Year, while internal staff surveys resulted in a Great Place To Work certification backed by a 92% employee recommendation rate.