World Environment Day - The datacenter: an asset for digital transformation & a driver of ecological transition in Africa

On the occasion of World Environment Day, we would like to dispel a common misconception: data centres are considered major polluters of the digital age.

Admittedly, data centers are energy-intensive as they use air conditioning to cool their IT rooms. Nevertheless, their environmental impact should be put into perspective. It turns out that the digital sector accounts for 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GESI Smarter 2020); and of these 2%, only 25% are attributable to data centers, the remainder being due to end-user devices such as computers, smartphones and tablets (47%) and telecommunications networks (28%).

It should also be noted that the development of data centres, and therefore the increase in their energy consumption, is closely linked to the explosion of digital uses and responds to a growing need on the part of businesses, public administrations, and individuals.

Data centres represent the first building block of the digital infrastructure, providing the computing power as well as the storage and connectivity requirements necessary for the deployment of IoT, artificial intelligence, and smart cities... Beyond that, these facilities drive the digital transformation of economies, public administrations, and territories; they support the explosion of individual uses and connected devices, and ensure a secure environment for the storage of data, which has become a strategic and sovereign asset for both the State and enterprises.

However, progress must not be disconnected from current environmental challenges and a responsible approach. Quite the contrary.

World Environment Day 2025, celebrated on 5 June, focuses on the fight against plastic pollution, under the theme "Beat Plastic Pollution"

At ST DIGITAL, we are committed to building eco-responsible data centers using materials derived from plastic recycling, as well as, for our existing sites, managing our environmental footprint by leveraging cutting-edge, efficient and less energy-intensive technologies. During the operational phase, ST DIGITAL monitors, measures and tracks technical, energy and environmental performance indicators in accordance with applicable standards, and the equivalent of 40% of our data centers' consumption is produced from renewable energy, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

We have also implemented a tool to keep our clients informed about their energy consumption, as we believe that it is by measuring and then raising awareness among our clients about their environmental impact that we can collectively improve.

Far from the image of polluter that has become attached to it, the data centre represents an indispensable asset for digital transformation and a lever for ecological transition in Africa.