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As we continue to live through what is an increasingly digital society, data centers have become the backbone of our interconnected world, handling everything from cloud computing to data storage and beyond. That takes a lot of energy, and as environmental impact becomes more and more of a concern, ISO 14001 certification has emerged as a top option to help organizations better manage their carbon footprint, and a particularly pertinent option for data centers.

Maybe you’ve seen the recent headlines—recent ones include “AI’s Energy Demands Are Out Of Control” (Wired), “AI brings soaring emissions for Google and Microsoft” (NPR), “AI emissions are fueling a new doomerism. This time it’s climate change” (Fortune), and “Artificial Intelligence Can Make Companies Greener, but It Also Guzzles Energy” (Wall Street Journal). Given the abundance of such press, it certainly seems as if the growing prevalence of AI across all platforms has sparked some climate controversy.

Among the growing concerns regarding climate change, social inequality, and corporate responsibility, (environmental, social, and governance) ESG reporting has become a tool for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.

Given the international reputation of ISO standards, ISO 14001 certification represents a great option for organizations seeking to prove their commitment to sustainability. To achieve certification of your environmental management system (EMS), however, you must meet the framework’s holistic requirements regarding environmental issues.

On February 23, 2024, ISO (along with the International Accreditation Federation (IAF)) published short amendments to all standards aligned with its Harmonized Structure. In the form of new requirement language and one additional note, ISO has now adapted climate change concerns as considerations for a wide range of popular certifications.

As part of the fight against the effects of climate change, a global effort has been kickstarted to reduce the use and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) due to their high global warming potential (GWP). For their part in this HFC phasedown, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking organizations to report their HFC allowance, and the deadline to do so is May 31, 2024.

As the scrutiny on environmental impact grows, more and more organizations are looking for ways that can help them both satisfy emerging regulations and customer concerns regarding the sustainability of their practices. And while there are a few options that may suit, ISO 14001 represents one particularly advantageous avenue.

Back on March 21, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rules that would enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures provided by public companies—two years and unquantified lobby and legal dollars later, the final SEC Climate Disclosure Rules were announced today.