Turning biodiversity ambition into action 

Data centers and biodiversity: Building digital infrastructure that supports nature

By Justice Selorm Nutakor, Sustainability & Regeneration Manager, atNorth

As demand for digital infrastructure expands, so does the need to balance growth with the protection and restoration of the natural environments and communities it affects. Governments, businesses and investors increasingly recognise the role nature plays in long-term resilience and sustainable development, making this a key consideration for infrastructure developers.  

While sustainability efforts have traditionally focused on energy efficiency, carbon reduction and resource management, there is growing recognition that biodiversity and nature must be integrated throughout the entire infrastructure lifecycle. 

This week, atNorth will join stakeholders from around the world at  COP17, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Armenia, an event that marks an important milestone in this conversation, providing the first formal opportunity to assess progress towards the targets established under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and consider what implementation looks like in practice. 

For atNorth, COP17 arrives at a particularly relevant moment. In our recently published Sustainability Report, we identified 2025 as a benchmark year, establishing the foundation from which we will continue to develop our approach to sustainable and regenerative digital infrastructure. Much like COP17 represents an opportunity to review global progress and identify areas for further action, it also provides a valuable moment for us to reflect on what we are learning, where progress is being made, and where important challenges remain. 

Connecting climate, nature and communities 

A lot of global attention has focused on climate transition and decarbonization and that work remains critical. But the more we look at infrastructure through a longer-term regenerative lens, the clearer it becomes that carbon cannot be the only measure of sustainable development. Climate change puts pressure on ecosystems. Nature, in turn, plays an important role in climate resilience. And both ultimately affect the communities in which infrastructure is developed and operated. For us, the challenge is therefore not climate or biodiversity. It is how we consider climate, biodiversity and community value together when making infrastructure decisions. 

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework contains 23 targets, but two feel especially relevant to the questions we are exploring at atNorth. Target 14 calls for biodiversity to be integrated into planning and development processes and reflected in decision-making across sectors, target 1 highlights biodiversity inclusive spatial planning and better management of land-use change.  

These targets raise a very practical question for the infrastructure sector: how do we translate global biodiversity ambition into the thousands of individual decisions made when we select, design, build and operate infrastructure? 

At atNorth, we are still learning what that looks like in practice. But our experience so far suggests that establishing baselines early, bringing ecological expertise into the planning process, engaging communities and suppliers, and monitoring outcomes over time are important parts of the answer. 

Turning ambition into action  

On 28 October at 11:00, I will be representing atNorth at the Nordic Pavilion in COP17’s Blue Zone for our session entitled “Strategic and Practical Work with Biodiversity at Data Centres: Lessons and a Look into the Future.” Together with perspectives from biodiversity practitioners and local communities, we want to have an honest conversation about how biodiversity considerations can be more effectively integrated into infrastructure planning, design, construction and operations. 

Unlike many environmental considerations that can be addressed through a single technology or process, biodiversity is often highly location specific. Every site is different, local ecosystems vary, community priorities differ, and environmental conditions can change.  

At atNorth, this thinking forms part of our evolving Data Center Blueprint for the future, a holistic approach that outlines how environmental, community and technical considerations can be integrated throughout the lifecycle of our data center development and operation. The Blueprint is not intended to present a finished model or definitive solution, rather, it provides a framework for continuous improvement. 

Across our Nordic portfolio, we are developing biodiversity monitoring and baseline programs, advancing conservation and replanting initiatives, exploring species-support projects, and strengthening community engagement around local environmental priorities.  

At our DEN02 site in Denmark, a portion of the land has been reserved for biodiversity initiatives and we have installed insect monitors to establish baseline information and track changes in insect activity throughout the site’s development. Similarly, in the vicinity of our ICE02 data center, a forestry initiative has developed into a broader nature restoration partnership, including support for the planting of 65,000 trees over five years and hands-on environmental education for around 300 local students. 

While each initiative has its own objectives, collectively they have reinforced several important lessons. First, biodiversity considerations are most effective when they are incorporated as early as possible in the development process rather than introduced later as standalone projects. Second, measurement matters. Establishing meaningful baselines helps organizations better understand local conditions, while ongoing monitoring allows us to assess the impact of interventions over time. Third, collaboration is essential – effective biodiversity initiatives often rely on partnerships between businesses, environmental specialists, local authorities, community groups and other stakeholders.  

Why conventions like COP17 matter 

Biodiversity integration is rarely straightforward, and there is still so much to learn. Competing priorities, evolving stakeholder expectations and complex local contexts can require careful navigation. 

That is why open and transparent discussions about challenges are just as valuable as discussions about successes. Sharing what has proven difficult, what has worked well and what we would do differently can help accelerate progress across the broader infrastructure sector. 

Meaningful progress will not come from any single organization having all the answers. It will come through collaboration, experimentation and a willingness to learn from one another. 

The question is no longer whether biodiversity should form part of infrastructure development, but how it can be integrated credibly, practically and at scale. We do not claim to have all the answers, but we hope to contribute to a more informed conversation about what the next generation of digital infrastructure could look like.