Europe-wide protests call to ‘stop dirty data centers’ following mounting opposition
- 100+ organizations are supporting European data center moratoriums
- The temporary ban would buy governments time to assess impacts
- UK set to add 6GW by 2030, but new Covenant sets out expectations
More than 100 organizations across 15 European countries have come together to campaign against ongoing AI data center developments, calling for an immediate moratorium on new large-scale campuses.
The Stop Dirty Data Centres campaign wants governments to take the time to consider environmental, economic and social consequences.
To get the message across, the group is reportedly planning protests across the UK, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands and France, with events set to take place on November 6 and 7 2026.
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Europeans are standing up against data centers
Rather than calling for all new data center projects to be called off, the group just wants a temporary pause so that governments can establish stronger planning, regulatory and environmental frameworks.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen such action – groups across the US have also been petitioning for similar moratoriums, and many states and regions have even been successful in imposing such moratoriums, including New York State.
Campaigners are also putting pressure on data center developers themselves, calling for greater transparency around projects’ environmental footprints and operating requirements.
“The explosion of AI data centres across our towns and cities is taking a toll that we can no longer afford,” the group wrote, citing impacts on local communities, jobs, energy bills, water shortages, mental health, surveillance and e-waste.
“Big tech companies lobby governments to fast-track construction and operate in secrecy, bypassing protections for our communities and ecosystems,” the group added.
The campaign claims support from tens of organizations, including Greenpeace UK, multiple localised Friends of the Earth branches and Extinction Rebellion Bristol.
Meanwhile, the UK government anticipates needing an additional 6GW of AI data center capacity by the end of the decade.
The Data Center Covenant, set out by the UK government, insists that future plans pay for their own energy, invest in improving local communities, adhere to stringent environmental standards, support local jobs and help to enhance national security.
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