New eco-label guideline for climate-friendly data centers

Significant increase in energy consumption by data centers

The current transformations are associated with far-reaching change processes in society and the economy. The associated digitalization offers many advantages: Data, for example, is becoming more accessible, available more quickly and can be used more efficiently and globally. Processes can be increasingly automated and productivity, as well as communication, can be increased both internally and externally. However, without sufficient efficiency measures, digitalization leads to a significant increase in energy consumption and is therefore harmful to the climate and resources.

Only a fraction of digital data is processed locally, i.e. where it is created. Data is transmitted via the internet and processed and stored in central data centers. Business models that offer software and services in the cloud will shift even more computing power and energy consumption to data centers in the future.

Guideline UZ80: Austrian Ecolabel for data centers

By being awarded the Austrian Ecolabel UZ80, data centers signal an energy and resource-efficient data center performance to their customers and public or private sector procurers. Efforts are therefore currently underway by the federal and state governments, VKI and consultants to gain the first label users and thus leading companies for this Ecolabel Directive from 2025. In a second step, the BMK is also focusing on implementing already developed criteria for sustainable procurement (naBe) in practice in the federal sector with the help of such quality labels. In addition, a broader impact is to be achieved in sustainable procurement through strategic partnerships.

The Ecolabel for data center operations can be awarded to those data centers whose operators make special efforts,

• operate their data centers in an energy-efficient, environmentally compatible and resource-saving manner, and
• develop and successfully implement a long-term strategy to increase energy and resource efficiency in relation to the IT services they provide.
• By labeling data centers, their customers as well as public or private sector procurers of data center services are provided with an information tool that enables them to consciously make use of energy- and resource-efficient data center services.

The labeling of data centers provides their customers and public or private sector procurers of data center services with an information tool that enables them to consciously make use of energy- and resource-efficient data center services.