10% are considered “hyperscalers” – Hyperscalers represent 41% of global capacity – 60-65% of AI workloads may be hosted by hyperscalers by 2030 – Each hyperscale data centre may require: 19-22% annual growth in global demand to 2030>1 GW of power500-800 acres of land>7 million litres of water/day 11,000+ Data centres worldwideAn additional challenge for the sub-sector is its reliance on critical minerals and the impact of this on supply chain resilience. The concentration of 60-70% of recent semiconductor production in Taiwan and South Korea creates substantial supply chain risk and potential for geopolitical impact. The European Union (EU) and the US have both passed legislation to support domestic production of critical semiconductor chips.30 The European Chips Act is expected to drive over $43 billion in investment up to 2030,31 while the US CHIPS Act allocated ~$53 billion in federal subsidies.32 These acts reinforce the importance of this sector and the ambition of governments to lead. Data centres for cloud computing There are currently over 11,000 data centres operating worldwide. They require massive amounts of energy, land and water – a trend that is likely to accelerate, given demand is expected to rise by ~20% per year until 2030 (see Figure 6).Before becoming operational, simply building data centres carries nature impacts through the steel, concrete and other materials required for construction. During 2024-25, the sector accounted for 70% of the increase in private non- residential construction in the US.33 Governments in some data centre hubs are limiting developments as power grids become strained and concerns mount over data centres monopolizing natural resources and limiting other industries’ access to power, water and land. In Ireland, for example, data centres use ~10% of available electricity, resulting in limits on new builds.34 Renewable power capacity cannot be built fast enough to enable growth while fulfilling a commitment to decarbonize 80% of electricity production by 2030. Insufficient infrastructure can also have secondary effects beyond limiting sector growth. One of the largest data hubs globally is in Northern Virginia, where developments are limited by insufficient power capacity and ageing infrastructure. Upgrades are not rapid enough to keep power reliable. Being persistent and innovative in mitigating their nature dependencies will allow data centre operators to better enable growth.35 The latest data centres can require ~1 GW of power or more, 500-800 acres of land and up to 7 million litres of water per day for cooling. Data centre industry in numbers FIGURE 6 Sources: see endnote.36 Nature Positive: Role of the Technology Sector 15

Nature Positive Role of the Technology Sector 2025