Call for paper: Energy and Environmental Impacts of Cloud Computing and Data Centres

Data centres are among the world’s most energy-intensive facilities, with demand projected to rise sharply through 2030. Thus, cloud computing and data centres represent a rapidly growing segment of global resource consumption, driven by the expansion of digital services and the recent boom in generative AI. While the cloud offers significant efficiency gains over traditional on-premises setups, its absolute environmental footprint remains a critical concern. The ‘topicality’ of this research is driven by three main factors: (i) the unprecedented surge in AI-driven demand, (ii) deepening water scarcity concerns, and (iii) a shift toward strict regulatory reporting.

Cloud computing has a complex environmental footprint that presents both significant challenges and substantial opportunities for sustainability. While the vast infrastructure of data centres consumes massive amounts of energy and water, the move from traditional on-premise servers to the cloud can often lead to a net reduction in carbon emissions due to superior efficiency and resource pooling. This SI will aim to bridge the gap between rapid digital growth and environmental sustainability. Its primary objective will be to foster an exchange of ideas among researchers in cloud computing, energy, and sustainable management to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

The originality of research on the energy and environmental impacts of cloud computing is currently transitioning from broad efficiency metrics [like Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)] to more granular, life-cycle based assessments. Whilst early studies focused primarily on the energy savings of migrating from on-premises servers to hyperscale data centres, contemporary research is pioneering new ground in several key areas.

The Special issue aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructures), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

List of topic areas

Energy Consumption & Carbon Emissions: Data centres consume approximately 1–1.5% of global electricity, a figure projected to rise significantly with AI adoption. Much of this energy is often sourced from fossil fuels, contributing to substantial greenhouse gas emissions.
Thermal Management and Cooling Innovation: Advances in liquid cooling, two-phase systems, free cooling, and heat recovery, and their role in reducing the energy and water footprint of data centre operations.
Waste Heat Reuse and Grid Integration: Recovery of low-grade heat for district heating applications, and the role of data centres as flexible loads in renewable-rich electricity systems.
Water Usage for Cooling: Large facilities can consume up to 5 million gallons of water daily for evaporative cooling. This strains local water resources, particularly in water-stressed regions like mid-west USA or parts of the UK.
Electronic Waste (E-waste): Rapid hardware refresh cycles (every 3–5 years) to maintain high performance lead to vast amounts of e-waste. Disposal can release hazardous materials like lead and mercury into the environment.
Land Use & Biodiversity: Hyperscale data centres require massive physical footprints, often competing with agriculture or housing and potentially disrupting local ecosystems.
Community Impacts: On-site diesel backup generators can create local air pollution (NOx and particulate matter), while constant cooling system operation generates persistent noise pollution affecting nearby residents.

Submissions information

Submissions are made using ReView. Registration and access are available at: https://ice-review.rivervalley.io/journal/jener. Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see journal’s author guidelines hyperlink: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/jener#jlp_author_guidelines

Authors should choose article type “Special Issue Paper” and then select ‘Energy and Environmental Impacts of Cloud Computing and Data Centres’ from the drop-down menu on screen. Please mention the name of the Special issue on the Author Questionnaire as well.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Submit your paper here by 30 September 2026