By Abbas Nazil
Developers working on proposed artificial intelligence datacentres linked to Google in the United Kingdom are facing criticism after reports revealed that carbon emissions linked to the projects may have been significantly understated in official planning documents.
According to an investigation reviewed by environmental experts, the emissions calculations submitted for two major datacentres planned in Essex underestimated their climate impact by a factor of five.
The projects include a 52-hectare datacentre development in Thurrock and another facility planned for North Weald near Epping Forest.
Planning regulations require developers to estimate how much carbon their projects will contribute to the UK’s total emissions and climate targets.
However, experts from the nonprofit organization Foxglove said the developers appear to have compared one year of emissions from the proposed datacentres against the United Kingdom’s entire five-year national carbon budget.
Environmental analysts argued that this calculation method made the projects’ environmental impact appear much smaller than it actually would be.
Foxglove’s Head of Strategy, Tim Squirrell, said the calculations risk misleading local authorities and the public regarding the true climate consequences of the facilities.
The controversy also extends beyond the Google-linked projects.
Developers behind the proposed Elsham Tech Park datacentre in North Lincolnshire were also accused of presenting emissions figures using the same disputed calculation approach.
Combined, the three datacentre developments are projected to account for more than one percent of the UK’s carbon budget by 2033, an amount roughly comparable to the emissions produced by a mid-sized British city such as Bristol.
Experts noted that the Thurrock datacentre alone could generate more emissions than an international airport.
Meanwhile, projected emissions from Elsham Tech Park are expected to approach one million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2033 and 2034, nearly matching emissions from all domestic flights within the United Kingdom.
Despite the scale of the projected emissions, the developments were reportedly classified as having only a “minor adverse” effect on the country’s climate goals.
The revelations have intensified concerns over the growing environmental footprint of artificial intelligence infrastructure and expanding datacentre operations.
Last month, separate reports highlighted inconsistencies within UK government planning regarding future energy demand from artificial intelligence systems and datacentres.
According to those findings, government departments differed dramatically in their estimates of how much electricity datacentres are expected to consume in coming years.
Critics say these discrepancies raise broader questions about whether current climate planning frameworks are adequately prepared for the rapid expansion of energy-intensive AI technologies.
Google’s Thurrock project reportedly claimed its emissions between 2028 and 2032 would account for only 0.033 percent of the UK’s carbon budget during that period.
Experts reviewing the documents argued the actual figure should be closer to 0.165 percent.
Similarly, the North Weald datacentre was said to have reported emissions equal to 0.043 percent of the UK’s carbon budget between 2033 and 2037, while analysts estimated the real impact would be approximately 0.215 percent.
In the case of Elsham Tech Park, developers reportedly claimed the project would account for 0.1043 percent of the UK’s carbon budget in 2033, though revised estimates suggest the true figure may be closer to 0.5215 percent.
A local councillor in Essex said planning officials would review the calculations during the next stage of the application process and ensure any major discrepancies are addressed before approvals proceed further.
Representatives for Google did not publicly respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
However, developers behind Elsham Tech Park acknowledged that revised emissions figures may need to be submitted as part of the ongoing planning process.
The company also defended the development by highlighting its potential economic benefits, including billions of pounds in private investment, employment opportunities and support for local supply chains.
Developers further argued that the projects would include biodiversity improvements such as wildflower grasslands and habitats for birds and bats.
Environmental groups, however, warned that such measures may not offset the growing carbon footprint associated with the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and large-scale datacentre construction across the country.
