Internet & Environment - Barely any improvement in the eco-balance of the federal government's IT systems
When it comes to environmental protection and sustainability, the federal government's data centers are lagging behind the goals set by the traffic light coalition. This is the result of a response from the federal government to a parliamentary question from the Left Party, which has been published. The environmental statistics for the data centers are also based on shaky data. Neither electricity consumption nor the proportion of green electricity is known for one in four federal facilities.
Left-wing MP Anke Domscheit-Berg lamented the lack of transparency: "As long as the traffic light continues to have this blatant structural information deficit, it will not be able to achieve any of its sustainability goals for its IT." She said she was tired of only reading about announcements regarding better reporting. "You can't manage well without proper data."
74 out of a total of 118 data centers use renewable energy
Compared to a similar request from 2022, there has been a slight improvement. 74 out of a total of 118 data centers now use renewable energy. A year ago, there were only 52 facilities. However, an improvement in the proportion of renewable energy can only be seen at four facilities.
In the paper, the German government points out that data center operators have been obliged to cover 50 percent of their electricity consumption with electricity from renewable energy sources from 1 January 2024. By 2027, the systems are even to be operated with 100% electricity from renewable energy sources.
In the Federal Government's answers on the sustainability of federal IT, it is noticeable, as it was a year ago, that the federal "Blue Angel" eco-label hardly plays any role. The seal has been promoted by the German government for over 40 years as a way of labeling environmentally friendly products and services. The coalition agreement of the traffic light coalition states: "Certifications such as the Blue Angel will become standard for federal IT procurements."
Deterioration compared to the previous year
A year ago, not a single federal data center met all eight "Blue Angel" criteria. Two data centers now have the certificate, but only according to a now outdated assessment method. For the current version of the "Blue Angel", 21 instead of 8 criteria must be fulfilled - no federal facility currently meets this requirement. Only five percent stated that they met at least half of the criteria. At the top of the list is a data center that meets 17 out of 21 criteria.
When it comes to the use of waste heat, which is inevitably generated in data centers during the operation of servers and other IT components, the Left Group even sees a deterioration compared to the previous year. Only 11 out of 118 facilities used waste heat in some form, compared to 14 in 2022.
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- The 'Traffic light coalition' in Germany, acknowledging the need for environmental protection and sustainability, has set ambitious goals for reducing the eco-balance of the federal government's data centers.
- Unfortunately, based on shaky data, the current environmental statistics for a significant portion of these data centers, including electricity consumption and the proportion of green electricity usage, remain unknown.
- In response to a parliamentary question from the Left Party, the Federal Government revealed that only 74 out of 118 data centers currently utilize renewable energy resources.
- Anke Domscheit-Berg, a left-wing MP, criticized the lack of transparency, pointing out that the federal government's structural data deficit hinders achieving its sustainability goals for IT.
- The German government, in its coalition agreement, has pledged to make certifications like the 'Blue Angel' eco-label mandatory for federal IT procurements to promote environmentally friendly products and services.
- However, the Federal Government's answers on the sustainability of its IT systems indicate that the 'Blue Angel' seal plays a minimal role in achieving these eco-friendly goals.
- Regarding waste heat utilization, which is a byproduct in data centers caused by server and IT component operations, there has been a decline, with only 11 out of 118 facilities utilizing waste heat compared to 14 in the previous year.
- Data centers in Germany have an opportunity to improve their sustainability, as the government obligates data center operators to cover 50% of electricity consumption with green energy from January 1, 2024, and aims to reach 100% by 2027.
- With the increasing reliance on internet services and data centers for various operations, it is crucial for Germany, represented by the Federal Government, to prioritize environmental protection and sustainable IT solutions to minimize its carbon footprint in the realm of information technology.
Source: www.stern.de
