GreenScale has set out 12 sustainability commitments designed to underpin the development and long-term operation of its data centre campuses. 

The commitments bring together the standards that GreenScale says will guide its approach to campus development, covering areas including renewable energy, embodied carbon, water use, heat reuse, local communities and responsible supply chains.

The publication of the full framework marks the end of a 12-week campaign that began on Earth Day 2026, with the company unveiling one commitment each week. GreenScale says it will report publicly against each target as its developments progress.

The commitments are intended to apply across the full lifecycle of its campuses, from site selection and design through to construction and operation. That is likely to become increasingly important as the data centre sector faces growing scrutiny over power availability, water use and the wider impact of large-scale campus developments.

Among the more notable targets are plans to design all data centres for heat export, while proactively seeking heat off-takers. GreenScale has also committed to operating backup generators using 100% hydro-treated vegetable oil fuel, achieving a Water Usage Effectiveness target of 0.4 or below, and requiring major design and construction suppliers to achieve an EcoVadis rating of ‘Good’ or higher.

While sustainability commitments are now common across the data centre sector, the real test will be whether operators can deliver against them as campuses move from planning into construction and, ultimately, operation. That is particularly true for large-scale sites, where power demand, grid access and local impact are increasingly under the spotlight.

GreenScale says its approach is based on developing data centre campuses in new power-rich markets, focusing on locations with abundant renewable energy resources and resilient connectivity.

That strategy is reflected in the company’s planned Tonstad Campus in southern Norway. New visualisations released by GreenScale show a 300MW campus comprising four purpose-built data centre buildings across a 420,000m² site. The project represents more than €2.5 billion of planned investment.

The site is located next to the Ertsmyra substation and will be powered by electricity from the nearby Tonstad Power Plant, one of Norway’s largest hydropower facilities by annual electricity generation.

“These commitments reflect the areas where we believe GreenScale can make the greatest positive impact,” noted Anna Dowson, Senior Director of Sustainability at GreenScale.

“By setting clear, measurable targets from the outset, we’re creating a transparent way to track our progress over time and hold ourselves accountable as our campuses move through development and into operation.”

“Data centre campuses are long-term infrastructure assets that will operate for decades,” added Dan Thomas, CEO of GreenScale. 

“The decisions made before construction begins influence their performance throughout their lifetime. That’s why we’ve embedded sustainability into every stage of our approach, from selecting the right locations to designing, building, and operating our campuses. These commitments provide the framework that will guide that journey.”

The full list of GreenScale’s 12 sustainability commitments is available on the company’s website.