Equinix : How Commercial Data Center Colocation Supports Government Sustainability Efforts

Governments are renewing climate action efforts, both in the U.S. and abroad. COP26, the most recent edition of the UN Climate Change Conference, drove home a sobering truth: more than five years out from the Paris Agreement, countries still need to get much more aggressive about their climate goals to bring about meaningful change. Under the current administration, the U.S. federal government has signaled it will once again take a leading role by returning to the Paris Agreement and pledging to cut emissions by at least 50% by 2030.[1]

While government officials often call on private businesses to reduce emissions, they are now looking inward to address legacy federal systems and practices that are obstacles to their sustainability goals. In a recent executive order, the Biden White House called for the federal government to "lead by example," using its considerable scale and procurement power to achieve five ambitious climate goals.[2] Also, Congress recently passed language to require the Department of Defense (DoD) to improve energy efficiency of their owned-and-operated data centers. To achieve these goals, industry leaders like Equinix can help government agencies modernize their digital infrastructure.