Structure Research, a leading independent research firm focused on cloud and data centre infrastructure, today released its 2026 State of Environmental Impact Report, offering an in-depth analysis of the environmental footprint of global data centre providers and hyperscale platforms amid accelerating AI infrastructure growth.

The report examines environmental data from 38 data centre providers and 9 hyperscale cloud platforms, tracking trends across carbon emissions, energy consumption, renewable energy usage, water consumption, and operational efficiency between 2020 and 2025.

As hyperscale AI deployments and high-density compute workloads continue to reshape the infrastructure landscape, the report finds that data centres accounted for an estimated 1.23% of global energy consumption in 2025, up from 0.81% in 2020. Total data centre energy consumption increased from 198.7 TWh in 2020 to 361.6 TWh in 2025.

Despite this rapid growth, the industry continues to make measurable progress in efficiency and renewable energy adoption.

“AI infrastructure growth is fundamentally changing the scale and resource profile of the global data centre market,” said Philbert Shih, Managing Director of Structure Research. “The industry is facing increasing scrutiny around energy availability, emissions, and water consumption, but at the same time we are seeing meaningful improvements in efficiency, transparency, and carbon-free energy adoption. The challenge moving forward will be balancing unprecedented infrastructure growth with long-term sustainability goals.”

Key Findings from the Report

AI Workloads Are Reshaping Infrastructure Demand

• Total operational IT capacity in the data centre industry reached an estimated 80,242 MW in 2025, up from 44,046 MW in 2020.
• Hyperscale self-build capacity grew at a 5-year CAGR of 17.6%, reflecting the rapid expansion of AI and cloud infrastructure globally.
• Higher-density AI workloads are driving increased adoption of liquid cooling technologies and larger-scale campus developments.

Renewable and Carbon-Free Energy Adoption Accelerates

• Renewable energy usage among ESG Leaders grew at a 5-year CAGR of 26.2%, significantly outpacing overall energy consumption growth.
• Hyperscalers sourced approximately 92% of their energy usage from carbon-free energy in 2025, while data centre providers reached 69%.
• Nuclear energy, natural gas partnerships, and direct power procurement strategies are becoming increasingly important as providers confront grid constraints in major markets.

Efficiency Gains Continue Despite Growing Consumption

• Average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) for data centre providers improved from 1.44 in 2020 to 1.38 in 2025. Hyperscalers maintained industry-leading average PUEs of approximately 1.21.
• Average emissions per GWh of energy consumption decreased from 328.3 mtCO2e/GWh in 2020 to 229.3 mtCO2e/GWh in 2025, demonstrating improved operational efficiency and cleaner energy sourcing.

Water Usage Emerges as a Critical Industry Focus

• Total water consumption by ESG Leaders increased from 55.8 million m3 in 2020 to 114.9 million m3 in 2025 as AI-related liquid cooling deployments accelerated.
• The report highlights increasing adoption of closed-loop liquid cooling systems, hybrid cooling designs, and non-potable water strategies to improve water efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

The report also includes the updated Structure Research Sustainability Quadrant (SRSQ), which benchmarks ESG Leaders based on transparency, operational efficiency, and renewable energy usage. The framework is designed to encourage greater standardization and transparency in ESG reporting across the digital infrastructure ecosystem.

The 2026 State of Environmental Impact Report is intended for hyperscalers, colocation providers, enterprises, investors, policymakers, and infrastructure stakeholders seeking deeper insight into the environmental implications of next-generation digital infrastructure growth.

About Structure Research

Structure Research is an independent research and consulting firm with a specific focus on the hyperscale, data center, AI, cloud, and edge segments within the digital infrastructure market. We are devoted to understanding, tracking and projecting the future of infrastructure service providers. Our mission is to publish the best research and analysis, and supply the most comprehensive data sets about the internet infrastructure services market. We provide the information and perspective necessary to make accurate strategic decisions.