Nature-positive infrastructure: reimagining sustainability in data centre development

As global data consumption continues to surge, driven by cloud computing, digital services and the rapid expansion and use of artificial intelligence (AI), data centres have become one of the fastest-growing asset classes in the world. Vast investments are being channelled into digital infrastructure to meet the growing demand for data storage and processing capacity.

However, data centres require substantial amounts of land, construction materials, energy and water resources. While their development creates significant demand across the construction sector, their operation can place tremendous pressure on local energy distribution networks and natural resources.

Meeting the growing demand for data while minimising the impact of data centre expansion on nature and local communities remains a significant challenge.

The built environment is responsible for 30% of biodiversity loss, making it one of the three most damaging sectors of the global economy to nature alongside agriculture and food, and energy. Importantly, biodiversity impacts extend far beyond the boundaries of a construction site. Around half of all materials extracted globally are used by the built environment, while the extraction, processing and transport of these materials can generate significant environmental impacts throughout the value chain, both upstream and downstream.

Addressing these challenges requires a whole-life approach that considers nature impacts across an asset's entire life cycle. However, the industry's ambition should extend beyond simply minimising harm. A nature-positive approach seeks to restore ecosystems, strengthen resilience and deliver wider benefits for communities, ensuring that the built environment contributes positively to nature rather than continuing its decline.

Why carbon alone is no longer enough

The sustainability conversation has evolved beyond carbon accounting alone. Initiatives such as RICS' Whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) for the built environment have helped push forward efforts to reduce both embodied and operational emissions.

Yet, discussions during a webinar on nature-positive infrastructure as part of the Global RICS and iMasons Climate Accord in June 2026 underscored that the future of sustainable data centre development lies not only in carbon accounting and reduction, but in understanding the interconnectedness of environmental, social and economic issues.

Water consumption, biodiversity impacts, community well-being and ecosystem resilience must all be considered at the development and design stages, alongside energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

Water is a critical resource challenge

Water is one of the most critical considerations in the planning, site selection and operation of data centres. Many data centre cooling systems rely on substantial volumes of water, putting pressure on local water supplies. In water-stressed regions, heavy water consumption by data centres can reduce the amount available for local ecosystems such as river, wetland and wildlife habitats, as well as agriculture and the local communities that rely on it for daily use.

According to the World Economic Forum approximately 4 billion people currently face severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, while an additional 3 to 4 billion people could face physical water scarcity as global warming intensifies. These figures highlight the potential scale of the problem.

Organisations need to evaluate the impact of their operation on local water resources and consider whether the supply can sustainably support it. Cooling systems that work well in areas with plenty of water may not be suitable in regions where water is scarce. Looking into local watershed conditions, water availability and whether local ecosystems could be harmed by increased water use should therefore be an essential part of site selection and design.

From nature protection to nature regeneration

With an increase in data consumption comes an opportunity for the digital infrastructure industry to support nature regeneration and actively improve the place in which it operates.

To do so the industry must adopt a system-wide approach that looks at the built assets and their infrastructure alongside the ecosystems, communities and wider region with which it is connected. Rather than seeing built assets as independent of these factors, this approach considers the dynamics and relationships between them.

The emphasis is no longer about doing less harm; the ultimate goal is to create positive outcomes by understanding and addressing how these factors influence and interact with each other. Successful developments will leave the area healthier, more resilient and more prosperous than before, with natural, social, infrastructure and financial capital all growing together.

Nature-positive infrastructure for long-term resilience

The ecological, hydrological, social and historical characteristics of a location should be assessed during site selection and initial project planning. Such analysis can reveal valuable opportunities to align data centre developments with natural systems and processes.

Alignment with these factors not only helps maintain operations but also enhances the site's resilience and capability to adapt to environmental challenges and future change. Organisations are ultimately dependent on the health and stability of the environments in which they operate. Maintaining those environments is therefore not simply an environmental responsibility but a business necessity.

A deeper understanding of local conditions may also identify opportunities to create regenerative systems and integrate nature-based solutions that could foster sustainable resource management and deliver wider environmental and social benefits.

Biodiversity as a strategic business risk

There is growing recognition that biodiversity loss is not a just an environmental issue but a systematic risk for economies, supply chains and financial stability.

WWF's Living Planet Report 2024 revealed that wildlife population sizes have decreased by 73% on average over the past 50 years. This is a rapid scale of decline that threatens the functioning of crucial ecosystems that underpin food security, carbon storage and clean water resources. Even more alarming is the report's exploration of tipping points, thresholds beyond which changes to critical ecosystems become self-perpetuating. If current trends continue, consequences could be abrupt, catastrophic and potentially irreversible, destabilising ecosystems, economies and societies across the globe.

Organisations therefore must understand their dependency and impacts on nature, and actively contribute to the protection and restoration of ecosystems. Biodiversity cannot be treated as a standalone initiative; it must be embedded into core strategies, operations and decision-making processes.

Standards such as ISO 17298 provide frameworks that help firms take appropriate action to address biodiversity loss. The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and GRESB also provide important tools for organisations seeking to assess and manage their nature-related impacts. However, guidelines, tools and methodologies alone are insufficient unless they are integrated into business processes and used to inform decision-making.

A nature-positive future for data centres

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets out an ambitious vision for reversing nature loss by 2050, with critical actions required throughout this decade. Delivering this vision will require contributions from all sectors, including the built environment and digital infrastructure industries.

As digital infrastructure continues to expand alongside AI and accelerating data consumption, the industry has a unique opportunity to rethink how development interacts with nature.