Europe’s Shift to Sustainable Data Centres

How Power Resilience Can Help Data Centre Operators Meet Sustainability Goals

Across Europe, the data centre industry is undergoing a profound transformation. As digitalisation accelerates and demand for cloud services, AI, and edge computing continues to grow, data centres have moved firmly into the spotlight of sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) discussions.

Regulators, investors, customers, and communities increasingly expect data centre operators to demonstrate measurable progress toward lower environmental impact, stronger governance, and responsible long‑term operations.

Stakeholders are no longer satisfied with incremental improvements. They expect measurable and transparent progress on environmental impact, governance, and long-term operational responsibility. In this context, ESG is no longer a reporting exercise; it is becoming a defining factor in how data centres are designed, financed, and operated.

Regulatory Pressure and ESG Expectations in Europe

Europe has emerged as a global leader in this movement. The European Green Deal, national energy‑efficiency regulations, and stricter reporting frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are reshaping how infrastructure is designed and operated. Data centres are now expected not just to deliver resilient digital services, but to do so with lower carbon footprints, efficient resource use, and transparent governance practices. As a result, sustainability has shifted from a “nice to have” to a core strategic priority.

Europe is setting the pace globally. The European Green Deal, tighter national energy-efficiency standards, and expanded disclosure requirements under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are fundamentally changing expectations.

The implication is clear: resilience and performance alone are no longer enough. Data centres must now deliver capacity with demonstrably lower carbon intensity, more efficient resource utilisation, and greater transparency. Sustainability is no longer a differentiator it is the baseline for market participation.

Power Resilience as a Sustainability Lever

One of the most important—yet often underestimated—areas of opportunity lie in power resilience. Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems are critical to data centre uptime, but they also play a significant role in energy efficiency, lifecycle emissions, and responsible waste management. Battery technologies can meaningfully influence a facility’s ESG performance across its full operational life.

Yet, in many cases, power infrastructure decisions are still made primarily on short-term cost and performance criteria—rather than long-term sustainability impact. This creates a gap between ESG ambition and operational reality.

Closing that gap requires rethinking how resilience is defined—not just as uptime, but as sustainable, lifecycle-aware performance.

Experience and Innovation: C&D’s Role in Supporting Sustainable Data Centres

This is where C&D Technologies plays a vital role in supporting more sustainable data centre operations. With decades of experience in energy storage solutions, C&D focuses on designing batteries that deliver reliability while aligning with evolving ESG expectations. Its pure lead AGM battery technology demonstrates how innovation at the component level can drive broader sustainability outcomes.

Pure lead batteries offer several sustainability advantages that are highly relevant to European data centres. C&D designs them for high energy efficiency and low internal resistance. This helps UPS systems run more efficiently during charging and discharging, and can reduce energy losses over time. This is an increasingly important consideration as operators work to improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), reduce indirect emissions, and improve environmental footprint.

For batteries, longevity matters beyond just replacement costs. C&D pure lead solutions deliver a longer-lasting UPS battery that also delivers mission-critical performance standards. This enables a reduction in battery replacements by up to 40%, and we achieve this in three main ways:

• Optimised radial grid design

• Patented pure lead paste and process

• Catalyst technology

The optimised radial grid design ensures that current paths are shortened, maximising discharge efficiency and reducing energy loss due to heat. In addition, the grid design ensures that power output is consistent, which lessens internal corrosion and improves battery life.

Our pure lead paste process improves temperature tolerance. Because we use higher-purity raw materials, we can achieve a longer life cycle in the battery.

In addition, C&D catalyst design recombines gases into water, helping the pure lead paste extend the battery’s service life even further.

The result of these innovations is fewer battery replacements for data centres. Fewer battery replacements translate directly into reduced material consumption, lower transport emissions, and less operational disruption. From an ESG perspective, extending asset lifecycles supports both environmental responsibility and stronger governance through more resilient, future‑ready infrastructure planning.

Circular Economy and End of Life Responsibility

Recyclability is another critical factor. Lead‑acid batteries, including pure lead designs, are among the most recycled products in the world. At end of life, a high percentage of the battery materials, including lead and plastics can be recovered and reused. This aligns well with Europe’s circular economy objectives and supports data centre operators seeking to demonstrate responsible waste management and resource stewardship as part of their ESG reporting.

It is easy to focus only on the sustainability aspect of an asset while you own it. But when ESG becomes as important as it is now, data centres must evaluate the entire lifecycle of a product. As of today, approximately 98% of a lead‑acid battery can be recycled, and up to 80% of its content can be used to make a new battery. This means that it takes less to produce, can last a long time while in service, and is recyclable at the end of its life.

Beyond the environmental dimension , ESG also has a social and governance dimension. Reliable backup power is essential not only to protect data and operations; but to ensure continuity for the businesses, public services, and communities that depend on digital infrastructure.

The right battery solution can reduce the effects of outages and grid swings. It can build trust in communities. It can also support the growth of the European economy.

 Building a More Sustainable Digital Future

C&D Technologies’ broader sustainability and corporate responsibility approach complements this technical performance. Through a focus on responsible manufacturing, compliance with environmental standards, and continuous product improvement, C&D supports customers who must meet both regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations. For data centre operators navigating complex ESG frameworks, working with suppliers that share these values is no longer a nice to have, but a crucial requirement.

As a technology manufacturer, C&D is dedicated to being a sustainable manufacturer with a focus on providing clear metrics on carbon emissions, waste reduction, energy usage and recycling. Real progress on the environment cannot be achieved unless it is actionable and measured and last year (2025) we achieved the following results:

• Recycled 49 million pounds of spent lead acid batteries

• Recycled 1.5 million pounds of plastic from spent batteries

• Achieved a 6% reduction in CO2 emissions in our factories

• 70 million pounds of recycled lead was used to make new batteries.

As a company, each year we set new targets aimed at improving on the year prior. 2026 is no different, with a focus on achieving the following:

• 2.5% reduction in CO2 emissions

• 2.5% reduction in waste produced

• 2.5% reduction in kWh of energy produced

Our pure lead AGM battery portfolio provides customers with reliable and long-lasting backup power solutions. This achievement does not come at the cost of integrity in manufacturing processes. Delivering the latest technology—and manufacturing that technology in a sustainable way—is part of C&D Technologies‘ commitment to supporting the shift towards sustainability in Europe's data centre industry.

Disclaimer: Performance results may vary depending on system configuration, operating conditions, and application. Environmental impact outcomes depend on broader infrastructure and operational factors.

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