SUSTAINABLE CLOUD IN AUSTRALIA CUTTING CARBON WITHOUT CUTTING PERFORMANCE Thiru Prakassh, Regional Data Centre Lead APAC, OVHcloud
Cloud adoption is accelerating. AI workloads are expanding. Data volumes are rising at an unprecedented rate.
A
ustralia’s digital economy is entering a new phase of growth, and organisations are generating and processing more data than ever before. But alongside this progress sits a growing challenge: how to scale digital infrastructure without proportionally increasing its environmental impact. The reality is that data centres carry a significant energy and resource footprint. Cooling systems alone account for a substantial share of energy consumption, with traditional air‑cooled environments relying heavily on electricity and large volumes of water to maintain stable operating temperatures. As scrutiny around resource use intensifies, this has become a critical issue for industry and government alike, with organisations increasingly prioritising transparency and factoring in sustainability to their procurement decisions.
20 ECD [ELECTRICAL+COMMS+DATA] - SEPTEMBER 2026
Transparency as a baseline
Transparency is becoming foundational to the cloud conversation. As organisations deepen their reliance on cloud infrastructure, they are also being asked to take greater responsibility for the environmental cost of their operations. Historically, however, visibility into energy use, water consumption and full lifecycle emissions has been limited. Without consistent and verifiable data, it is difficult for businesses to make informed decisions or to meet growing regulatory and stakeholder expectations.
Sustainability as a procurement driver
Sustainability is also rapidly becoming a core procurement requirement for Australian enterprises. Environmental considerations are no longer isolated to corporate responsibility teams. They are now embedded in vendor selection, risk management and long-term strategy. As regulatory frameworks expand and emissions disclosure becomes more rigorous, organisations are expected to demonstrate not only their own commitments, but also the performance of their technology partners. This extends sustainability accountability across the entire supply chain.
www.ecdonline.com.au