Archive · 2 Jun 2025
Tech Industry Efforts to Meet Climate Goals With Cooling
Data centers need to cool down computers to keep them running smoothly.
New ways to cool data centers, like cold plates and immersion cooling, can reduce energy use, water use, and emissions.
These methods are like using an ice pack or oil bath to cool down hot computer chips.
Scientists are also working on making the electricity used to power these data centers cleaner to further reduce their environmental impact.
These new cooling technologies are a step towards helping the tech industry meet its climate goals.
New cooling methods, like cold plates and immersion cooling, can significantly reduce data center emissions, energy use, and water consumption.
Advanced cooling technologies can reduce data center emissions by 15-21% compared to traditional air cooling.
Cold plates and immersion cooling are two prominent cooling techniques that offer viable alternatives to traditional methods.
The study found that sustainability demands systemic thinking, not isolated fixes to meet climate goals.
Using renewable energy alongside advanced cooling technologies can drastically reduce emissions and water usage.
- Who
- Researchers from Microsoft and WSP Global, and the ICT industry.
- What
- New cooling methods are being implemented to reduce the environmental impact of data centers.
- When
- The study was published on June 02, 2025.
- Where
- Data centers globally.
- Why
- To curb climate change and meet global climate goals, data centers need greener designs.
Drawbacks of Advanced Cooling
Benefits of Advanced Cooling
Trade-offs
Drawbacks of Advanced Cooling
The shift to advanced cooling has some trade-offs as they may involve different regulations and complex designs.
Benefits of Advanced Cooling
Advanced cooling methods can drastically decrease the environmental impact by reducing emissions, energy use, and water consumption.
- Emissions Reduction (Advanced Cooling)
- 15-21%
- Energy Use Reduction (Advanced Cooling)
- 15-20%
- Water Consumption Reduction (Advanced Cooling)
- 31-52%
- ICT Industry Emissions Reduction Goal
- 2030
- Companies deploying advanced cooling
- Microsoft, Alibaba