Behind GreenScale's Sustainability Pillars for Data Centres

GreenScale has set out 12 sustainability commitments that will govern how its future data centre campuses are designed, built and operated.

In doing so, the company, which defines itself as a "sustainable data centre platform", is turning environmental targets into measurable standards before construction has even begun.

Published alongside new visualisations of the company's planned 300MW Tonstad Campus in southern Norway, the framework covers every stage of development.

That includes renewable energy and embodied carbon stages to water stewardship, waste heat recovery and responsible supply chains.

The commitments mark the conclusion of a 12-week campaign that was launched on Earth Day 2026.

GreenScale pledges to report publicly against each target as its campuses progress from planning into operation.

Building sustainability into a data centre campus

GreenScale's framework spans the full lifecycle of a data centre campus.

It combines targets for renewable energy procurement, embodied carbon, water efficiency, backup power, heat reuse and long-term emissions with wider commitments around communities, supply chains and governance.

The 12 commitments are grouped across two strategic pillars, with the first focusing on Green Infrastructure.

Anna Dowson, Senior Director of Sustainability at GreenScale, said: "These commitments reflect the areas where we believe GreenScale can make the greatest positive impact.

"By setting clear, measurable targets from the outset, we're creating a transparent way to track our progress over time and hold ourselves accountable as our campuses move through development and into operation."

Beyond environmental performance

GreenScale's sustainability strategy extends beyond how its campuses are built, to where they are built and who they affect.

Alongside its environmental objectives, GreenScale has grouped a further six commitments under its "Scale for Good" pillar, focusing on community engagement, procurement, workforce development and ESG transparency.

Norway campus

GreenScale's sustainability commitments are already shaping the design of its first major development.

New visualisations released alongside the framework showcase the planned Tonstad Campus in southern Norway.

It is a 300MW data centre development comprising four purpose-built facilities across a 420,000m² site. The project represents more than €2.5bn (US$2.85bn) of planned investment.

The campus will be located adjacent to the Ertsmyra substation and supplied with electricity from the nearby Tonstad Power Plant, one of Norway's largest hydropower facilities by annual electricity generation. 

Dan Thomas, CEO of GreenScale, said: "Data centre campuses are long-term infrastructure assets that will operate for decades.

"The decisions made before construction begin influence their performance throughout their lifetime.

"That's why we've embedded sustainability into every stage of our approach, from selecting the right locations to designing, building, and operating our campuses.

"These commitments provide the framework that will guide that journey."

Measuring progress

The sustainability commitments were developed following a materiality assessment aligned with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

GreenScale will hold itself accountable for its pledges, reporting publicly against each commitment as its developments progress through construction and into operation.