The Global Urban Data Centres Pact
A mayoral vision for a sustainable, affordable digital future
Endorsing cities
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Ahmedabad, India
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Athens, Greece
Austin, TX, USA
Baakline, Lebanon
Barcelona, Spain
Beverly, MA, USA
Boise, ID, USA
Bologna, Italy
Boston, MA, USA
Chennai, India
Chicago, IL, USA
Cleveland, OH, USA
Columbia, SC, USA
Columbia, MO, USA
Copenhagen, Denmark
Curitiba, Brazil
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Heidelberg, Germany
Johannesburg, South Africa
Lincoln, NE, USA
London, UK
Madison, WI, USA
Medellín, Colombia
Melbourne, Australia
Miami, FL, USA
Milan, Italy
Montréal, Canada
Mumbai, India
Nairobi, Kenya
Oslo, Norway
Palo Alto, CA, USA
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Portland, OR, USA
Quezon City, Philippines
Renca, Chile
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Riverside, CA, USA
Seattle, WA, USA
Sydney, Australia
Tshwane, South Africa
Business supporters
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Coalition partners
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1,700+ data centres across nearly 100 C40 cities
Cities are setting the first-ever global vision for sustainable urban data centres
As data centres grow rapidly in urban areas, the need for local governance that delivers sustainability and real benefits for residents has never been greater. Without it, cities face increased carbon emissions, air pollution, water scarcity, and rising energy prices.
The Global Urban Data Centres Pact is a mayoral-led vision that sets the conditions for sustainable urban data centres. It ensures cities can reap the economic benefits of this growing industry while safeguarding communities and the climate. Endorsing mayors are calling on the industry to join cities in turning this ambition into action.
“In the race to become smart cities, we don’t want to ruin the planet - that simply isn't smart. In Melbourne, we believe cities should help shape the future of digital infrastructure instead of reacting to it. Local communities should be involved in decisions that affect them, which means growth must be matched by responsible planning, sustainable resource use and genuine community benefits. We're proud to work alongside Phoenix and dozens of cities around the world to develop the Global Urban Data Centres Pact. This is a big deal, and shows how cities can learn from one another, share practical solutions and help build a digital future that is innovative, sustainable and works for local communities.”
Nicholas Reece, Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Data centre demand is set to double the city’s grid load. To manage this growth, the city implemented a new zoning ordinance restricting facilities to industrial zones and mandated resource transparency. High-capacity projects must now prove utility availability and meet a 30% water recycling threshold if consumption exceeds 500,000 gallons daily."
Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix
The number of data centres worldwide has grown from 500,000 in 2021 to around 8 million today, with electricity consumption nearly doubling from 2022 to 2026 (460 TWh to ~1,050 TWh). This rapid scaling creates a critical policy gap that city leaders must bridge to protect local resources.
A mayoral vision for a sustainable, affordable digital future
By endorsing the Pact, mayors and businesses join a growing coalition that demonstrates how city leadership can harness the digital economy while protecting the people and places we love.
Join mayors in setting a vision for data centres, which are:
- Strategically integrated into cities: Respecting local communities and aligning with city planning.
- Sustainable and resource-efficient: Minimising environmental footprint through clean energy, circular water use, and heat recovery.
- Accountable and community-focused: Staying accountable through public metrics, community engagement, and investing in local businesses.
- Engines for cost-security and shared prosperity: Funding local infrastructure upgrades and reinvesting surplus revenue into the community.
By endorsing the Pact, cities commit to putting forward a vision for what a sustainable, locally beneficial data centre should be. They call on the industry more broadly to join us to convert this ambitious vision into action for the well-being of our residents and the environment.
Learn more on insights and strategic advice on urban data centres for local governments and industry, including city-led actions, policy tools, and proven solutions.
Data centres should be built where they make sense for cities and communities. This means never displacing residents and integrating them into areas suitable for infrastructure-intensive use. A collaborative approach is required to ensure local communities are respected and planning and climate targets are actively considered, so that the digital economy sits within our cities, not on top of them.
1. Strategically integrated into cities
Data centres should be built where they make sense for cities and communities. This means never displacing residents and integrating them into areas suitable for infrastructure-intensive use. A collaborative approach is required to ensure local communities are respected and planning and climate targets are actively considered, so that the digital economy sits within our cities, not on top of them.
2. Sustainable and resource-efficient
Data centres should be fossil-fuel free and carbon-neutral by design, not through offsets. They should be active partners in the clean energy transition, reducing pressure on local grids rather than adding to it.
3. Accountable and community-focused
Local communities should have a say in how data centre facilities are planned and operated. As the primary beneficiaries of all digital infrastructure, facilities should be designed with them, not just for them. They should deliver tangible benefits to the streets they occupy.
4. Engines for cost-security and shared prosperity
Data centres should pay their fair share for the grids and water systems they rely on, and actively help to lower the cost of living for the communities around them.
The combined data centre and network ecosystem is responsible for 2.5% to 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while the need to replace hardware every 2–3 years leaves behind a staggering volume of e-waste.
Mayors are facing an ever-growing challenge
Data centres are one of the fastest-growing challenges facing mayors across the C40 network, with 1,700+ data centres in C40 cities alone, and that number is increasing every year.
While global electricity demand grows by around 3% annually, data centre demand is growing at 15-20% per year. As industry demand for urban sites grows, these facilities increasingly compete with critical land needs, including affordable housing, and place unprecedented strain on local power and networks. Without proper planning and clear standards, data centres can have a disproportionate impact on our cities’ electricity and water use, as well as temperatures, air quality and energy costs.
Mayors have a critical say in how this sector evolves and a unique opportunity to shape it. Well-planned growth of data centres presents our cities and the industry with a unique chance to harness the potential of the digital economy while protecting our environment and serving our people and the communities they live in.
C40 mayors are developing the practical solutions, policies, and industry partnerships necessary to ensure this growth is sustainable and equitable. The Pact’s unified, innovative vision can help the sector to enable community support and build urban data centres that are truly sustainable, equitable, and locally beneficial.
City leadership in action
Cities around the world are already taking action to secure a sustainable and affordable digital future for all.
From zoning reforms that keep data centres out of residential neighbourhoods, to energy frameworks that turn facilities into active grid partners, mayors are proving that strong city leadership can turn ambition into practical, replicable solutions.
As more cities face the same pressures, the examples below offer a look at what responsible, community-centred data centre growth can look like in practice.
Read our case studies below to see how cities are leading the way.
Read our case studies of cities taking action globally for a sustainable, affordable digital future
Milan, Italy
Milan’s 2025 Decree No. 122 established a clear framework for digital growth by recognising data centers as a distinct infrastructure category and integrating them into broader commercial and industrial land strategies. The decree utilises strict spatial mapping to define where data centers are permitted or explicitly forbidden, opening up zones intended for dual office and industrial use. To drive urban renewal, it slashes standard developer impact contributions by 20% for brownfield projects. This metropolitan framework is now complemented by Lombardy’s June 2026 Regional Law No. 11, which layers on expedited regional approvals through the Regional Offices for Data Centers for projects that meet strict green mandates like carbon-neutral power and waste heat reuse.
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phoenix updated the City’s Zoning Ordinance to protect local health and community standards by requiring data centers seeking to locate outside of industrial areas to acquire a special-use permit from the City Council, enforcing noise limits (dropping to 45 decibels at night), and requiring substantial mechanical equipment to be set back from surrounding buildings, visual screening, and for trees to be planted as shade cover on sidewalks.
London, UK
The Old Oak and Park Royal Energy Network is a low-carbon district heating network delivered by Old Oak Park Development Corporation, which repurposes waste heat from local data centre cooling systems. This reused heat is distributed via an ambient network and then piped to new and existing commercial and residential buildings. This scheme is expected to deliver 95GWh of heat, enough to heat over 8,000 homes, between 2026 and 2040 and is a UK first for utilising data centre waste heat in this manner.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
The State of Tamil Nadu, of which Chennai is the capital city, offers incentives for clean energy, including a 60-70% cross-subsidy discount for facilities that meet at least 30% of their consumption through wind and solar power, as well as subsidies for green building certifications.
Des Moines, IA, US
Des Moines partnered with data centre companies to develop a tuition-free data centre technician training academy in the city’s community college to build a localised urban workforce pipeline. The partnership provides on-campus training labs for low-income, under-resourced residents, preparing them with hands-on technical skills and professional certifications. The aim is to transition the students directly into high-wage technician and critical operations roles in the region’s data centre
Melbourne, Australia
The city is formalising a framework for responsible AI utilisation, ensuring that data centre expansion meets rigorous sustainability criteria and contributes to long-term greenhouse gas reductions.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Data centres in Amsterdam are required to maintain an Energy Registration and Monitoring System for at least 5 years that is publicly accessible. It must report quarterly values on total consumption, solar output, residual heat, and water usage efficiency.
See the full commitments and find out what endorsing the Global Urban Data Centres Pact means for your city or business.
Join mayors across the world in shaping a sustainable, affordable digital future for all.
Learn more on insights and strategic advice on urban data centres for local governments and industry, including city-led actions, policy tools, and proven solutions.
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