Sources: Infrastructure Masons, Beaverton, Ore.; CP staff
The Infrastructure Masons’ iMasons Climate Accord Governing Body is calling on all suppliers serving data center construction and operation to support greater transparency in (GHG Protocol-defined) Scope 3 emissions as part of broader efforts to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. Scope 3 emissions are not produced by the company itself; rather, they include the indirect emissions throughout the value chain.
Governing Body members include AWS, Digital Realty, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Schneider Electric. In an open letter, they explain the importance of widespread adoption of standardized, third party-verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), outlining the greenhouse gas emissions of a product through its entire lifecycle—from raw materials extraction and processing to manufacturing, transportation, use, and product end-of-life. Climate Accord signatories have net-zero carbon emissions commitments to address their responsibility in mitigating data center carbon emissions. As they seek to reach benchmarks in the coming years, the next piece of the sustainability puzzle lies in reducing Scope 3 emissions, which can represent anywhere from 38-69 percent of data centers’ total carbon footprint. While an increasing number of local, state, and federal procurement policies stipulate submittal of EPDs across multiple industries, Climate Accord contends, there is not widespread adoption of such documents in data centers. The open letter demonstrates a significant push from top stakeholders “to drive meaningful change across the industry, working in partnership with their trusted suppliers.”
“EPDs are crucial in transforming the future of digital infrastructure to be more resilient and climate positive. The adoption of EPDs within the global supply chain fosters both sustainable and accountable outcomes. This initiative supports a collective approach to reducing our carbon emissions and environmental footprints,” says iMasons Climate Accord Executive Director Miranda Gardiner.
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