Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what environmental standards data centres will be subject to under the new Data Centre Covenant.

Adhering to the highest environmental standards is one of the five tests set out in the Data Centre Covenant. This includes an expectation that all new facilities are designed to achieve a Power Usage Effectiveness of 1.3 or better, alongside additional reporting of environmental metrics and minimisation of demand for public water by using new technologies and alternative water supplies. Further detail is available within the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 October 2026.