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Discover our new Elastic Metal Iridium servers

Environmental Footprint Calculator

Accurately track your environmental impact and make informed choices. Eligible for Elastic Metal products only in private beta

Digital footprint keeps growing

According to International Banker, the total power consumed by data centres will rise to more than 1,000TWh by 2026, roughly equivalent to Japan’s electricity consumption.

Monitoring and comparability are limited

Calculating a digital product's footprint is complex, involving multiple lifecycle stages. The absence of a universal calculation method makes provider comparisons challenging.

Regulations are around the corner

The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting European Directive (CSRD) mandates annual environmental impact reporting by 2025 for large companies and 2027 for smaller ones.

Understand your environmental footprint

Get comprehensive insights into your environmental impact, with breakdowns by project, region, and product. The calculator tracks key metrics like carbon emissions (kgCO₂eq) and water usage (m³), helping you see the footprint of your digital infrastructure.

Make informed infrastructure choices

Monthly reports allow you to monitor your footprint’s evolution and adjust your infrastructure accordingly. First for Elastic Metal products: you'll access footprint estimates of the different servers. You'll be able to compare products and make your choice thanks to a scale based on carbon metrics embodied by leafs (1, 2 or 3)

Share accurate reports with your stakeholders

Monthly reports are provided in an easy-to-share format, built on methodologies co-developed with ADEME. This data simplifies CSR reporting, aids in meeting sustainability goals, and supports transparent communication with all stakeholders.

What you'll test in private beta? Elastic Metal environmental footprint

  • Carbon and water metrics

    Receive detailed reports on the carbon footprint and water consumption associated with the use of our Elastic Metal services. With precise metrics based on a comprehensive lifecycle analysis, you gain a clear and accurate view of your environmental impact.

  • Servers' environmental footprint comparison

    Once your registered as a private beta tester, you'll be able to compare Elastic Metal servers based on their carbon footprint. A new criteria to help you take environment in account when building your new infrastructure.

  • Based on a methodology co-built with IJO & ADEME

    We partnered with IJO, a specialist in responsible digital practices, to develop the most thorough methodology possible. Our calculations are based on ADEME’s Product Category Rules (PCR), an industry standard that ensures reliable and consistent measurements. This approach covers the entire lifecycle impact, from server manufacturing to their use in our data centers.

Frequently asked questions

Will environmental impact data be provided for all Scaleway products?

Yes, we will proceed product by product so that, in time, you will have access to environmental impact information for each of the products you use.

What are the limits of the calculator?

We miss a lot of supplier data.
It can sometimes be challenging to obtain all the necessary data from our suppliers, both for hardware manufacturing and data centers. In such cases, we use estimates with the support of Boavizta and ADEME's database.

Why do you talk about a holistic approach?

The methodology we use is taking into account as many criteria as possible to get an image of the impact produced but also left in the ecosystem.
Thus the calculator takes into account:

  • Scope 3:
    The majority of emissions generated by Cloud consumption are in Scope 3!
    Based on GCP Impact report from 2023,
    Scope 1 emissions represent 1%of the total emissions
    Scope 2 emissions represent 24%of the total emissions
    Scope 3 = 75%of total emissions!
    Not measuring Scope 3 would completely miscalculate your carbon footprint.

  • LCA:
    Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) quantifies the emissions produced at each phase of the product or service’s life cycle, from its design to its end of life and its impact on natural resources, ecosystems, etc.
    Following a LCA Methodology, like the The Datacenter and Cloud PCR does, is moving from a subjective calculation based on a company operations’ and value chain’s emission to a holistic approach quantifying impact of the life cycle of a product and a service on the environment around it.

  • Water:
    Frequently ignored in cloud reporting, water is a major element of IT's impact on the planet. All the more so, generative AI/LLMs consume considerable amounts of water (cf. ChatGPT convo = 0.5 liters), and AI adoption is growing very fast.
    When assessing cloud providers, Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is often highlighted. A PUE close to 1 indicates better energy efficiency. However, a strong PUE can sometimes mask a less efficient Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE). For a realistic view of a data center’s environmental footprint, it’s essential to consider both metrics and that is why we provide transparent insights on consumption based on the Water Usage Efficiency (WUE) of our data centers.