How Big Tech Lobbied the EU to Hide Data Centers' Environmental Toll
The European Commission incorporated a secrecy provision drafted by Microsoft and tech lobby group DigitalEurope into European Union law, blocking public access to critical information on data centers’ environmental impact, an investigation led by Investigate Europe, an independent journalism cooperative, in collaboration with Tech Policy Press, has found.
The confidentiality clause — inserted into a 2024 implementing regulation under the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (Directive 2023/1791) — shields information on energy use and water consumption from affected communities, researchers and journalists. Ten legal scholars told Investigate Europe it may violate the EU’s obligations under the Aarhus Convention, an international treaty guaranteeing public access to environmental information.
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