Proposed London datacentre would emit 1M tonnes of CO2 annually, UK docs show

A hyperscale datacentre planned for outer London's green belt would generate emissions equivalent to 27,000 transatlantic flights per year, raising questions about compatibility with UK climate targets.

First covered Aug 21, 2026 · 3:00 AM PT · 1 article · no longer in the live window

Proposed London datacentre would emit 1M tonnes of CO2 annually, UK docs show — Image via theguardian.com

Coverage

36d Guardian Environment Proposed London datacentre will have annual carbon footprint of 27,000 flights to New York — Exclusive: Planning documents show datacentre in North Ockendon would be incompatible with UK net zero targets A “hyperscale” datacentre in outer London would…

Primary sources

icao.int ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator

legislation.gov.uk The Infrastructure Planning (Business or Commercial Projects) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

static1.squarespace.com Ehdcc Project+Presentation June+2026 Website (static1.squarespace.com)

More coverage from around the web

aol.co.uk Proposed London datacentre will have annual carbon footprint of 27,000 flights to New York - AOL

globalactionplan.org.uk New Report: Big Tech Data Centres: a Threat to UK Decarbonisation

committees.parliament.uk Written evidence - DCU0056

carbonbrief.org Analysis: CO2 from UK data centres could be ‘hundreds of times’ higher than thought - Carbon Brief

au.headtopics.com Proposed London datacentre will have annual carbon footprint of 27,000 flights to New York | Australia

Appeared in: 2026-08-21 (#10) · 2026-08-22 (#12) · 2026-08-23 (#16)

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