Article source: Guardian Environment
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Digital Reef's proposed East Havering Data Centre Campus in North Ockendon would emit over 1m tonnes of CO₂ annually – equivalent to 8,480 transatlantic flights – if approved by Havering council. The hyperscale facility would occupy 218 hectares of London green belt to house servers and storage for AI and cloud computing. Planning documents obtained by The Guardian show the carbon footprint sits in direct tension with the developer's claim that the project represents a "sustainable datacentre campus of the future". This is a sharp example of the greenwashing that dogs infrastructure planning: labelling something "sustainable" or "of the future" while the baseline emissions profile contradicts net-zero alignment. A datacentre of this scale generating over 1m tonnes CO₂ annually would require either verified renewable energy procurement across 100% of operations (Scope 2), carbon offsets (Scope 3), or both to move towards credibility on climate commitments. Neither is mentioned in the planning framing. The tension exposes a wider infrastructure gap: as AI and cloud demand accelerates, the physical footprint and energy intensity of supporting datacentres remains enormous. Havering council now faces a choice between green belt preservation and claimed economic benefit – but the climate case for approval hinges entirely on mitigation measures not yet outlined. Without specific renewable energy contracts or verified offset commitments, approval sets precedent for carbon-intensive infrastructure to shelter under sustainability language.