Too hot to ignore: fixing the infrastructure gap in data centre cooling

Policy@Manchester’s publication on Cities and Environment provides evidence-led insights on the growing environmental impact of data centre cooling. Data centres are among the most energy- and water-intensive parts of the digital economy, yet their cooling systems remain largely absent from national infrastructure and climate policy.

In this article, Dlzar Al Kez and Aoife Foley outline how advanced cooling technologies such as direct-to-chip and immersion systems can reduce electricity and water demand, while also highlighting critical gaps in regulation and disclosure. They recommend treating cooling as core infrastructure, embedding cooling in planning policy, and introducing national reporting frameworks for energy and water use.

Their research-led recommendations provide policymakers with practical solutions to ensure data centre cooling supports the UK’s net zero strategy and strengthens digital resilience.