Environmental Impacts of Digital Infrastructure: Balance Boundaries and Forecasts

Research project on environmental impacts of digital infrastructure (ReFoPlan 2026): Development of a harmonized, life-cycle-based assessment framework for data centers, networks, clouds, edge computing, end devices, and AI hardware. This includes the analysis of energy consumption, raw material and water demand, land use, emissions, and toxicological effects. The project involves a holistic consideration of digital infrastructures, discussion of existing approaches, recommendations on methodology and data, and the creation of scenarios for forecasts until 2035. A comprehensive stakeholder process with German experts and a conference with European partners to discuss methodology, standards, and scenarios are also part of the project.

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