The concrete construction boom driving data center expansion creates a massive climate challenge, with concrete production accounting for approximately 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. DataBank’s Tony Qorri oversees construction of five Atlanta-area facilities totaling 1.44 million square feet, exemplifying the scale of materials needed for AI infrastructure.

Tech giants face mounting emissions despite carbon neutrality commitments. Microsoft’s carbon emissions jumped over 30% last year, primarily from data center construction materials, while Google’s greenhouse emissions increased nearly 50% over five years. Morgan Stanley projects data centers will release 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 annually by 2030.

Innovation offers hope through nearly 1,000 companies working on concrete decarbonization. Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft recently joined an Open Compute Project Foundation initiative to accelerate low-carbon concrete deployment in data centers. Solutions include carbon capture systems for cement plants and climate-friendlier cement recipes, though supply remains minimal compared to global demand.

Explore the complete report on IEEE Spectrum.