Explainer | Why data centres, 5G networks are at the forefront of climate-change fight in China

Global internet traffic surged by more than 40 per cent in 2020, driven by demand during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to IEA

Data centres and 5G network operators still rely on electricity generated by coal-fired plants as China remains reliant on ‘dirty’ energy’ on the grid

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People visit a display centre of the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Area in southwestern province of Guizhou in May 2019. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 1:46pm, 26 Dec 2021

Data centres and data transmission networks, the so-called digital infrastructure, require a lot of power to drive the internet. Their powerful computers and storage servers emit carbon and impact the environment too.

As the world actively embraces the digital economy, data centres and related facilities also become the latest target of actions by Big Tech and climate-change proponents alike. China, as the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, is also taking steps to cut emissions.

Here’s what you need to know about data centres and how they are linked to climate change in the world’s second largest digital economy.

What are the roles of data centres and their impact on climate?

Around 4.9 billion people, or 63 per cent of the world’s population, are using the internet in 2021, more than twice the users from a decade ago, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The global internet traffic has also expanded 15-fold, or 30 per cent every year.

Driven by demand during the Covid-19 pandemic, including for video streaming, video conferencing, online gaming, and social networking, global internet traffic surged by more than 40 per cent in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

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