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World Economy
Apr 17, 2026

US Tech Firms Successfully Lobby EU to Conceal Datacentre Emissions Data

AI Summary
An investigation has found that US tech companies, including Microsoft, successfully lobbied the EU to keep datacentre emissions data confidential, hindering scrutiny of their environmental impact.

US tech firms, including Microsoft, have successfully influenced the EU to conceal the environmental impact of their datacentres, an investigation has revealed. The EU's proposal to create a database of green metrics for datacentres was amended to include a secrecy provision, almost verbatim from industry lobbying efforts in 2024.

This confidentiality clause, included in EU rules, restricts public access to individual datacentre emissions data, leaving only national-level summaries of energy footprints. Researchers and legal scholars warn that this blanket confidentiality may violate EU transparency rules and the Aarhus convention on public access to environmental information.

The rise of AI chatbots has led to a surge in datacentre construction, increasing demand for power, partly met by burning fossil gas. The EU aims to triple its datacentre capacity in the next five to seven years to become a global leader in artificial intelligence.

Industry groups, including DigitalEurope and Video Games Europe, lobbied for the change, citing commercial interests. Microsoft stated it supports greater transparency while protecting confidential business information.

Legal experts argue that the confidentiality clause contravenes EU transparency rules and the Aarhus convention. The EU is obliged to ensure systematic availability of environmental information to the public under the convention.