Investors press Amazon Microsoft Google on US data center water
Big investors are pressing Amazon, Microsoft, and Google to share more details about how much water their US data centers use, especially since some projects have been halted after local pushback.
With energy demands rising, investors, including Trillium Asset Management, want to know how these tech giants plan to meet climate goals without draining resources.
Shareholders seek site specific water data
Data centers in North America used nearly 1 trillion liters of water last year, about as much as New York City uses in a year.
Shareholders are now asking for site-specific information to spot risks and make sure companies are actually reducing their impact.
Amazon has started sharing more data and focusing on efficiency; Microsoft says it's tackling sustainability head-on.
Google hasn't responded yet, which is making some investors nervous about its promise to run on carbon-free energy by 2030.