United Kingdom: Water

As data centres transition from largely unregulated facilities to designated critical infrastructure, their environmental impact and energy consumption have come under unprecedented regulatory scrutiny. With the AI boom driving exponential growth in data centre capacity, new EU reporting requirements, energy audits, and forthcoming rating schemes are reshaping the investment landscape and forcing operators to balance digital expansion with climate commitments.

Apart from solar photovoltaics and fuel cells, nearly all electricity generation depends on spinning a turbine, usually by creating a pressure differential by heating water to steam.

A second consecutive year of record heat in the North Atlantic Ocean, along with developing La Niña conditions, is expected to boost hurricane activity in the basin.