Google developers significantly misstate carbon emissions of proposed UK datacentres
Emissions understated by factor of five in Essex plans for tech giant, while Greystoke’s Lincolnshire plans show similar error
TL;DR
- Google's developers have misstated the carbon emissions of two proposed AI datacentres in Essex in planning documents.
- The error involves comparing one year of the datacentre's emissions with the UK's entire five-year carbon budget, understating the impact fivefold.
- Greystoke, developing a datacentre in north Lincolnshire, appears to have made a similar misstatement.
- Together, these three developments could account for over 1% of the UK's carbon budget by 2033.
- Experts from Foxglove highlight these apparent misstatements as concerning for transparency in AI development's environmental footprint.
- The Thurrock datacentre's emissions are estimated to be 0.165% of the UK's budgeted carbon footprint (2028-2032), not the stated 0.033%.
- The North Weald datacentre's emissions are estimated to be 0.215% (2033-2037), not the stated 0.043%.
- Greystoke's Elsham Tech Park emissions are estimated to be 0.5215% of the UK's carbon budget in 2033, not the stated 0.1043%.
- Despite these figures, all three developments are classified as having a 'minor adverse' impact on UK climate goals.
- Greystoke acknowledged the discrepancy and expects to submit revised figures; Google did not respond to a request for comment.