Data Centres and the Sustainability Crossroads
As the UK races to become a global AI powerhouse, a new £10bn data centre planned for Elsham, Lincolnshire, is raising serious environmental red flags. According to planning documents the facility could emit five times more CO₂ than Birmingham Airport – consuming a staggering 3.7 billion kWh of energy annually, with annual CO2 emissions of 857,254 tonnes “when running at full tilt”. Due to the scale of the center there will be no on-site renewables as these are deemed ”impractical”.
Putting aside the question of whether this actually gets built to the size planned (due to cost of power and employment in the region), it is clear that this isn’t just a local planning issue – it’s a national one. The Elsham data centre exemplifies the growing tension between AI-driven economic growth and our net-zero commitments. Whilst the government, and indeed many other industries, goes all in on AI as a catalyst for productivity and innovation, the carbon cost of powering these systems accelerates at unprecedented rates.
As Martha Dark of Foxglove aptly put it, the UK faces a choice: “…an economic plan that’s best for Britain, or one that’s best for Amazon, Google and Meta.”
We all know, the AI revolution is here – whether we like it or not. If we actually want it to be sustainable, what is essential is that we need bold policy, transparent planning, education, and a serious rethink of how we power the future – for our future generations.
Subcribe to news and viewsIt’s decision time: does the government want an economic plan that’s best for Britain, or one that’s best for Amazon, Google and Meta?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/06/planned-ai-datacentre-in-england-could-cause-five-times-emissions-of-big-airport
