Green Globes launches campus-wide data centre sustainability standard

The Green Building Initiative has introduced the Green Globes Data Center Campus Certification to address sustainability needs across data centre campuses.

The new certification is tailored to the particular operational and infrastructure challenges of data centre campuses and aims to provide owners and operators with a method to measure and certify the sustainability of multiple buildings on a single site. The programme is intended to streamline the process while fostering both efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

In its development, the Green Building Initiative (GBI) partnered with Compass Datacenters, a company known for constructing data centre campuses for large-scale technology clients across different regions. Compass Datacenters' sites in Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago, and Mississippi are set to be the first to pursue the new campus-level certification.

The certification process takes into account the interconnected nature of data centre operations, including common redundant infrastructure and systems, to promote comprehensive improvements in efficiency and sustainability. This focus comes amid increasing energy demands and greater emphasis on reducing the environmental impact of digital infrastructure.

Vicki Worden, Chief Executive Officer of the Green Building Initiative, commented, "Digital infrastructure is the backbone of today's society, and it's critical that we design, construct, and operate these spaces with sustainability at the forefront. The Green Globes Data Center Campus Certification empowers operators to optimize environmental performance across entire campuses while meeting evolving stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements."

The Green Globes Data Center Campus Certification is described by GBI as a means to enable mission-critical facilities to reduce environmental impact and improve long-term resilience. The implementation of this standard allows for a holistic assessment by including multiple buildings within a single certification process.

The partnership with Compass Datacenters was central to shaping the new certification. Amy Marks, Senior Vice President of Innovation at Compass Datacenters, said, "By standardizing our campuses, we reduce digital, procedural and physical waste to scale faster. GBI is wisely adopting that mindset with the campus-wide certification, making it possible to streamline documentation and certification across data halls and buildings into a single, unified process."

Marks added, "Our co-development of this process with GBI underscores our belief that doing the right thing is good business—and it advances continuous improvement across materials, energy and water use, and community engagement."

The Green Globes programme evaluates attributes including energy and water efficiency, site impact, emissions reduction, material selection, and resilience throughout any point in a building's life cycle. The process involves a third-party, on-site assessment conducted by a dedicated Green Globes Assessor, and projects might become eligible for financial incentives or meet local sustainability mandates through certification.

Key features of the new programme include holistic campus assessment, a streamlined certification process achieved by replicating documentation and questionnaires across multiple buildings, and assignment of a consistent assessor for projects when feasible. Additional advantages noted are pricing efficiencies, campus certification plaques, GBI-issued press releases, promotion through social media, and personalised improvement recommendations from the assigned assessor.

Eligibility for the campus certification requires GBI organisational membership at the Stewardship Level or above, as well as a preliminary consultation with the organisation. The current iteration of the certification applies to new construction campuses with at least three buildings, within 18 months of occupancy or with less than 12 months of continuous utility data. GBI expects to extend eligibility to existing buildings in the near future.

According to GBI, the aim of the new programme is to provide a path for industry leaders, developers, and other stakeholders to make data centre operation more sustainable while meeting operational and regulatory expectations.