Greens call for temporary ban on new data centres

**Zack Polanski urges a temporary ban on new data centres in England**

The leader of the Green Party has called for a suspension of approvals for new data centres in England due to environmental concerns. Polanski argued that the government should impose stricter environmental regulations and empower local communities to decide on the siting of these facilities.

**Water and energy usage of data centres**

Data centres consume considerable amounts of water for cooling purposes, though precise UK figures are unavailable. The government warned that a moratorium could result in losing investments and reliance on overseas computing for sensitive data processing.

**Government response**

A government spokesperson noted that a pause would negatively impact jobs and national security, emphasizing that a moratorium would send investment and jobs overseas. The UK currently hosts around 477 data centres, with many in drought-stricken areas.

**Environmental impact**

The Water Research Centre estimated that English data centres use approximately 1.9 billion liters of drinkable water annually, a figure that has been rising. Environmental charity Global Action Plan suggested that large centers could consume up to 1.5 million liters per day.

**Recommendations**

The Greens proposed building data centres on brownfield sites close to renewable energy sources and requiring annual reporting of water and electricity consumption. However, the government cautioned that a temporary ban would hinder technological progress and national security.