The Growing Urgency of Data Center Action on Climate Change

As a large energy user, the data center industry has a key role to play in the global response to climate change. Pankaj Sharma of Schneider Electric is on the front lines of this effort, working with data center operators and suppliers on a holistic approach to making digital infrastructure more sustainable. 

Sharma joins DCF Editor Rich Miller for a wide-ranging discussion about the growing sense of urgency for climate action, the Schneider sustainability framework for data centers, and how the metaverse may impact how we power and cool our critical infrastructure. 

Here’s a timeline of topics Pankaj and Rich discuss on the podcast:

• 1:00 – Pankaj's role at Schneider Electric and his Data Center Journey. 
• 3:20 – Why sustainability is so important for data centers and IT applications
• 5:30 – How the Schneider Electric Sustainability Framework can help data center operators respond.  
• 10:00 – How the industry experience with PUE provides insights on sustainability responses.
• 12:45 – The growing sense of urgency for climate action, in the data center industry and beyond.
• 14:15 – Pankaj offers his take on the recent Schneider Electric Innovation Summit and key takeaways. 
• 20:15 – The Metaverse and what it means for data centers and mission-critical infrastructure.
• 23:15 - The future of cooling, and how metaverse compute tech may impact cooling.
• 25:10 - The data center supply chain is "a huge challenge" but is getting better.

Here are some links with more about the topics we discuss:

• Schneider Sustainability Framework Offers Roadmap for Climate Response: The framework helps data center users  identify, measure and manage their carbon impact, and is intended to spark an acceleration of the climate response from the industry.
• Data Center Metrics Every Data Center Operator Should Measure:  Without standardized sustainability metrics, it’s difficult to ensure internal alignment between design, procurement, operations, and sustainability teams. Schneider Electric proposes five categories of data center sustainability metrics that can be used to report on environmental sustainability.
• Schneider Electric Innovation Summit: The Future Requites Smaller Faster, Smarter, Cleaner:   “There is massive pressure from investors, regarding ESG (the environmental, social and governance aims of companies)," company CEO Jean-Pascale Tricoire said. "If you want to attract good people, you need to have a plan for sustainability.” (From our sister pub Energy Tech) 

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