Nearly nine out of ten of people say it’s time data centres started paying their fair share.
That’s one of the key findings from a survey carried out by ‘Friends of the Earth’, and ‘Beyond Fossil Fuels’, which shows overwhelming support for stricter rules on Data centres.
Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin’s MEP for Dublin has said that this report clearly shows that people want to see more fairness from data centres in terms of their transparency, and the cost of the energy that they use.
MEP Boylan said:
“The figures in this report from Ireland are clear, with an overwhelming majority saying that we need more fairness, and transparency when it comes to data centres.
“Almost 86% believe that new data centres should only be built if they’re powered by renewables, which is a part of Sinn Féin’s policy on this issue.
This same view is also held by the Climate Change Advisory council.
The issue of cost also featured prominently, with 88% of people saying that they felt it was time for data centres to pay their fair share.
“Data centre’s out a huge amount of pressure on our grid, yet the CRU has proposed that they should pay less for the energy that they use, than ordinary households.
“It’s not fair to charge ordinary people more, while handing a price cut to the multibillion-euro tech companies that set up these centres, and heap so much pressure on our electricity and water grid.
“Nearly 90% people want to see data centres come clean about their energy usage, and where that energy comes from”.
“Transparency must be the law, not an option. Yet, the government has failed to implement the EU rules that obliges data centres to share this information.
“We can have a more sustainable, and fair digital future, but it means we need a government who will stand up to these big corporations, and put ordinary people, and our environment first.”
