"A pollution watchdog has dropped a proposed ruling that could have cut CO2 emissions from data centers "dozens of times faster" than the current system, The Financial Times reports. Following lobbying by tech industry groups, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) decided to not recommend a protocol that would have made it more difficult for tech companies to use clean energy investments to offset fossil fuel pollution."
"In order to avoid pollution charges, tech giants say they're offsetting fossil fuel generation with investments in wind, solar and other forms of green power. They use certificates to offset those emissions backed by net-zero energy projects, even if those projects are located in other states or regions and generate the power at a different time. For instance, a fossil-fuel powered Texas data centre running at night can offset CO2 pollution via certificates issued when solar energy is purchased during the day in California."
"However, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GGP) oversight body (used by Europe and California) said that both the fossil fuel power and offsetting green energy should be produced in the same market at around the same time. That would help ensure accurate reporting and create a "credible link" between companies and their energy sources, the GGP said. Based on that research, SBTi proposed that tech companies use certificates that represent clean energy produced in the same time frame as the fossil-fuel energy consumed."
A pollution watchdog dropped a proposed ruling that would have reduced CO2 emissions from data centers by requiring faster, more accurate accounting. The decision followed lobbying by technology industry groups. The Science Based Targets initiative chose not to recommend a protocol that would have made it harder for tech companies to use clean energy investments to offset fossil fuel pollution. Large data centers built for the AI boom often rely on gas turbines because local electricity supply is insufficient. Companies avoid pollution charges by using certificates tied to net-zero energy projects, even when those projects are in different regions and generate power at different times. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol oversight body said offsets should be produced in the same market and around the same time to ensure a credible link and accurate reporting.
Read at Engadget
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