Terminology
A
Action plan
A structured approach for implementation that identifies specific tasks to be completed, the time horizon for completion, and the resources allocated to support the work.
Acquisitions / Divestitures
The integration of sustainability considerations into asset-level acquisition and disposal decisions, including the evaluation of environmental and social factors (e.g., energy, climate risks, and operational efficiency) to inform due diligence and asset strategy.
Air pollution
Air pollutants are particles and gases released into the atmosphere that may adversely affect living organisms. Additionally, some pollutants contribute to climate change or exacerbate the effects of climate change locally. Pollutants of major public health concern include ozone-depleting substances (ODS), NOx, SOx, particulate matter (PM), lead, mercury and/or other standard categories of air emissions identified in relevant regulations.
Alignment
To agree and match with a recognized sustainability reporting standard (either voluntary or mandatory).
Annual performance targets
Targets set in annual performance reviews, which are assessments of employee performance.
Annual report
A yearly record of an entity’s financial performance that is distributed to investors under applicable financial reporting regulations.
As-designed embodied carbon
The estimated embodied carbon of a project based on its final design specifications prior to construction.
Asset manager
A person or group of people responsible for developing and overseeing financial and strategic developments of real estate investments at asset level.
B
Battery waste
Battery waste refers to discarded batteries from various devices and applications, such as energy storage system batteries. May contain toxic materials and rare earth minerals that can be retrieved if waste is processed correctly.
Baseline (embodied carbon)
A reference scenario representing typical or business-as-usual embodied carbon performance against which improvements can be measured.
Biodiversity
The variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
Biofuels
Any kind of energy carrier sourced from biological origin, including biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, landfill gas, wood waste and other biomass products.
Board of Directors
A body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization as detailed in the corporate charter. Boards normally comprise both executive and non-executive directors.
Board-level
The highest executive body of the organization, which may be an executive board or management board. Board-level should be interpreted as the most senior body with formal oversight and decision-making authority on behalf of the organization. These bodies typically operate under formalized documents that govern their structure, roles, responsibilities, and functioning.
Brownfield site
Brownfield sites are previously developed properties that are abandoned, underutilized, and that may be contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, or other environmental issues from past industrial or commercial activities. Redeveloping brownfield sites for new purposes like data centers can offer benefits such as revitalizing communities, reducing urban sprawl, and leveraging existing infrastructure.
Bundled
Reflects the situation in which the purchase of physical electricity and the associated environmental attributes (EACs) are sold together as part of the same transaction or contract. This creates a clear link between the Renewable Energy being consumed and its environmental benefits.
Business Practices
The determination and communication of the business requirements for the data centre including the importance of systems, reliability availability and maintainability specifications and data management processes.
C
Cabinet
The installation, configuration, maintenance and management of the cabinets into which rack-mount IT equipment is installed.
Capital Planning
The integration of sustainability considerations into capital allocation and investment decisions, including the evaluation and prioritization of projects based on sustainability factors.
Capacity
The maximum load (in MW) of the network or networks, servers, and storage equipment, installed in the data centre computer room floor area, that the data centre infrastructure for power distribution and environmental control is capable of handling while providing the desired service availability
Carbon intensity
The amount of greenhouse gas emissions expressed per unit of output.
Carbon intensity threshold
Design requirements that define a baseline or limit to reduce embodied carbon and/or greenhouse gas emissions from high-carbon building materials, systems, or construction activities.
Certified (facilities)
Facilities that have obtained a recognized green building rating or certification.
Closed end fund
An investment vehicle with a fixed amount of capital. Limited liquidity, with the redemption of units provided for at the end of the life of the vehicle.
Club deal
An investment vehicle or structure with generally a limited number of investors investing in a common strategy. Typically, investors have more discretion and control than in a typical fund, and have veto rights over major decisions.
Code or regulatory requirements (equipment)
Formally defined criteria or standards that equipment must meet during procurement or development.
Collaboration on sustainable solutions
Joint initiatives between the entity and its suppliers and/or service providers to develop or improve business models, products, services, materials, technologies, or processes that support the entity’s sustainability objectives.
Communication plan
A structured approach for sharing information that identifies the intended audience, key messages, delivery channels, timing, and responsibilities for communication.
Communication protocol
Formally established processes for sharing relevant information.
Community
Persons or groups of persons living and/or working in any areas that are economically, socially or environmentally impacted (positively or negatively) by an entity’s operation
Community concerns
Issues of importance raised by the community, that are causing social, mental or other distress.
Community engagement
The communication, interaction, and formation of relationships between the entity and its community.
Community impact
An organization's affects on the community that include, but are not limited to, increased noise, traffic congestion, lack of housing, resettlement requirements or pressure on access to local services that arise from influx of construction personnel, site development work or operational processes that are novel to the area.
Community water resource replenishment
Protection of local water resources or replenishment to minimize depletion of communal water resources.
Consistently with every consumer
Engage at least 90% of customers on sustainability issues (the majority of customers), e.g., during lease negotiation or supporting engagements.
Construction and demolition waste diversion
Measures implemented during construction to manage waste generated from construction and demolition activities to divert it from landfill through reuse, recycling, or recovery.
Construction Requirements
Formally defined criteria or standards that must be followed during construction activities.
Construction-related air pollution mitigation
Measures implemented during construction to monitor, manage, and reduce air pollutants generated during construction activities.
Containerized design
Design approach where infrastructure is integrated into standardized container-like enclosures or transportable units that can be rapidly deployed and scaled.
Contractor Orientation
Process of introducing contractors to a site’s rules, risks, procedures, and expectations so they can work safely, responsibly, and in compliance with required standards (ensuring contractors understand site-specific hazards and protocols prior to beginning).
Contractors
Persons or organizations working onsite or offsite on behalf of an entity. A contractor can contract their own workers directly, or contract sub-contractors or independent contractors. Suppliers are not considered contractors for the purposes of this indicator.
Control
The extent to which the reporting entity has the authority and ability to (i) implement actions and/or (ii) influence and collect performance measurement outcomes for a given sustainability topic.
1. Portfolio-level Control Calculation
The reported control percentage for each control-dependent indicator is calculated automatically from the site-level control values and site capacities reported by the participant.
Control (%)=Total relevant portfolio MW capacityCapacity-weighted sum of site-level control values×100
This calculation is performed separately for each relevant indicator according to the site-level inputs.
Use the GRESB Data Center Portfolio Evidence Template to calculate portfolio-level control percentages based on site-level control. The completed template should also be submitted as supporting evidence for indicator RC4.
2. Site-Level Control Inputs
When reporting control for a site, participants should assign a value between 0% and 100% for each relevant sustainability topic based on their level of authority, influence, and ability to collect performance data.
Full Control (100%): The reporting entity has the authority to introduce, implement, and/or influence actions, policies, measures, and performance measurement related to the sustainability topic at the site.
No Control (0%): The reporting entity does not have the authority to introduce, implement, and/or influence actions, policies, measures, and performance measurement related to the sustainability topic at the site.
Partial Control (1-99%): In some cases, the reporting entity may have partial control over a sustainability topic at a site. Where appropriate, participants may report a control value between 0% and 100% to reflect the proportion of site capacity over which they can reasonably influence actions, policies, measures, or performance measurement outcomes.
For example, a reporting entity may operate a 100 MW multi-tenant site but only have authority over 90 MW of the site's capacity for a particular sustainability topic. In this case, the participant may report 90% control for that site.
Alternatively, participants may choose to represent such situations by splitting the site into multiple entries with different control values. Participants should use a consistent and reasonable approach that reflects the substance of their operational influence and reporting responsibilities.
Control-Weighted
Control-Weighted
Control: The extent to which the reporting entity has the authority and ability to (i) implement actions and/or (ii) influence and collect performance measurement outcomes for a given sustainability topic.
The reported value should be consistent with the portfolio-level control percentage calculated using the GRESB Data Center Portfolio Evidence Template and reported through RC4.
Control-Weighted Score: GRESB provides a Control-Weighted Score as a supplementary score in the Insights Report. This score adjusts results based on the entity’s level of control over the indicators, illustrating how the GRESB Base Score changes when control is taken into account.
Cooling Efficiency Ratio (CER)
It is a measure of how effectively a cooling system converts electrical energy input into cooling output. It is calculated by dividing total energy used for cooling by total energy consumption.
Cooling Technology
The selection and design of cooling systems used to manage heat loads in data centers, taking into account energy efficiency, water use, climate conditions, operational requirements, and system performance. Cooling technologies may include air-cooled, liquid-cooled, evaporative, or hybrid systems, and are typically one of the most significant contributors to overall facility energy consumption.
Cooling technology selection aligned with water availability
Design requirements that consider local water availability, water stress, climate conditions, operational requirements, and cooling-system performance when selecting cooling technologies for a development project.
Cooling tower
A cooling tower is a heat rejection device which extracts waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a water stream to a lower temperature. Reduction of potable water consumption for cooling towers (or evaporative condenser equipment) can be achieved through effective water management, including conducting a water analysis to measure the concentration of at least five control parameters in order to optimize the cooling tower cycles and/or use of non-potable makeup water for a minimum of 20% of the makeup water.
Core
An entity that includes a preponderance of core attributes; the entity as a whole will have low leasing exposure and low leverage. A low percentage of non-core assets is acceptable. As a result, such portfolios should achieve relatively high-income returns and exhibit relatively low volatility. Low-risk entities that invest in stabilized, income producing property, which is typically held for 5 to 10 years and have limited acquisition/disposal activity after the fund has been invested. Assets in core funds are characterized by stable income returns with less capital growth. A Core Plus fund invests in similar style assets but adopts a more aggressive management style. Core Plus entities are considered Core for the purposes of the GRESB Assessment.
Corrective action
Corrective action in the context of safety refers to the systematic steps taken to eliminate the root causes of safety incidents, hazards, or non-compliance issues to prevent their recurrence. It typically involves investigating the underlying causes, implementing specific measures to address deficiencies, and monitoring the effectiveness of these measures to ensure lasting improvement in workplace safety performance.
C-suite level staff/Senior management
A team of individuals who have the day-to-day responsibility of managing the entity. C-suite level staff are sometimes referred to, within corporations, as senior management, executive management, executive leadership team, top management, upper management, higher management, or simply seniors.
CUE (Carbon Usage Effectiveness)
Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE) is a metric used in data center design and operations. It is the ratio of a data center’s annual CO2 emissions to the IT equipment’s energy demand and expressed in kg CO2e per kWh. For more information, see The Green Grid White Paper 32: Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE)
Customer Engagement
The process of interacting with customers to influence, support, or improve sustainability performance, practices, or outcomes.
Customers / Clients
Entities that procure or use the entity’s data center services, including, for example, colocation tenants and enterprise or hyperscale clients.
D
Data Center Power Equipment
This normally includes uninterruptible power supplies, power distribution units and cabling but may also include backup generators and other equipment.
Data floor
The installation, configuration, maintenance and management of the main data floor where IT equipment is installed. This includes the floor (raised in some cases), positioning of CRAC / CRAH units and basic layout of cabling systems(under floor or overhead).
Day-to-day implementation responsibility
The assigned responsibility for carrying out, managing, and monitoring the regular activities needed to put a policy, program, or process into practice.
Debt
A fund or similar entity that has been set up for the purposes of issuing or investing in loans or bonds.
Dedicated employee(s) on sustainability issues
Employee(s) whose primary responsibility is defining, implementing and monitoring the sustainability objectives at entity level.
Dedicated staff on sustainability issues
Individuals whose core responsibility is to address sustainability issues.
Dedicated sustainability budget
Financial resources specifically allocated to support sustainability-related activities, initiatives, and objectives within the organization.
Demand Energy Response (DER)
Demand response is a program or strategy where electricity consumers adjust their power consumption in response to signals from the grid operator, typically reducing usage during peak demand periods or when grid reliability is threatened. This approach helps balance electricity supply and demand, prevent blackouts, reduce strain on infrastructure, and can provide financial incentives to participants while supporting grid stability and integration of renewable energy sources.
Demand response programmes
Programs that enable a facility to shift or reduce its electricity use in response to grid conditions, system needs, or market signals.
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA)
Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) is a systematic engineering approach that optimizes product design to make it easier, faster, and more cost-effective to manufacture and assemble. It focuses on simplifying product structures, reducing part counts, and selecting manufacturing processes early in the design phase to minimize production costs, improve quality, and reduce time to market.
Developer-Hold Landlord (Powered Shell)
A data center where the landlord/developer provides a shell building with key site infrastructure such as exterior improvements, substation/switchyard, fiber points of entry and security, but the tenant completes the data center fit-out.
Developer-Hold Landlord (Turnkey Lease)
A data center where the landlord/developer delivers a more complete, ready data center product, including MEP equipment, telecommunications systems, air handlers, power distribution units, intermediate distribution frames, & security.
Developer-to-Sell / Merchant Developer
A data center developer who follows a plan–lease–build–sell model, developing assets to a stabilized state and then selling them to monetize value and recycle capital into new developments.
Direct investment
The purchase of a controlling interest or a minority interest of such size and influence that active control is a feasible objective.
Direction of travel
The overall trajectory of an entity's approach over time, which outlines its strategic priorities and the milestones it expects to achieve.
Disclosure
The act of making information or data readily accessible and available to all interested individuals and institutions. Disclosure must be external and cannot be an internal and/or ad hoc communication.
Distributed energy resources (DER)
Distributed energy resources (DER) are small-scale power generation or storage systems located close to where electricity is used, including technologies like solar panels, battery storage, backup generators, electric vehicle chargers, and combined heat and power systems. These decentralized assets can operate independently or in coordination with the main grid, providing benefits such as increased energy resilience, reduced transmission losses, peak demand management, and support for renewable energy integration.
Dynamic control of building cooling
The real-time optimization of the cooling system through control settings that respond to factors such as cooling load, internal air temperature, and external air temperature, in line with an agreed strategy.
E
Electrical equipment safety training
Specialized instruction that teaches workers how to safely work with, operate, and maintain electrical systems and equipment to prevent electrical hazards such as shock, electrocution, arc flash, and fires.
Electrical safety training
Specialized instruction that teaches workers how to safely work with, operate, and maintain electrical systems and equipment to prevent electrical hazards such as shock, electrocution, arc flash, and fires.
Electricity demand flexibility
The ability of electricity users to reduce or shift their electricity consumption away from periods of high demand or grid stress in response to incentives or system needs.
Embodied carbon
Refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction, and end-of-life disposal of building materials and products, excluding operational emissions. It represents the carbon footprint "embedded" in materials before a project even begins operation.
Emergency Preparedness
Assesses readiness through frequency and participation in emergency response drills.
Employees
Someone who works directly for the entity and receives compensation in the form of an hourly wage or annual salary for their work. This can be both on-site or off-site (such as in an administration office). Employers typically have to pay specific benefits, such as contributions to pensions or taxes for employees. Employees may be either full-time or part-time and may operate on a short-term contract.
Energy Management
The plan, processes, and practices established to manage energy use in accordance with emerging EU guidelines and internationally standardized methodologies.
Energy Procurement
The process of sourcing and purchasing energy for an entity’s operations, including electricity, fuels, and renewable energy, from suppliers or other generation sources.
Energy Reuse
Energy reuse refers to energy reused by the data center. Energy reuse factor is the energy reused divided by total energy consumption. A ratio of 1 indicates all energy is reused.
Energy reuse factor (ERF)
Energy reuse refers to energy reused by the data center. Energy reuse factor is the energy reused divided by total energy consumption. A ratio of 1 indicates all energy is reused.
Energy use analytics
Analysis of energy use to determine discrepancies between baseline and actual energy use. Energy use analytics help determine whether energy use targets are reached, and can highlight opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
Environmental Product Declaration (EDP)
A standardized, third-party verified document that transparently communicates the environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle, including information on carbon footprint, energy use, waste generation, and resource consumption. EPDs follow international standards (ISO 14025) and provide comparable, credible data that helps architects, designers, and purchasers make informed decisions about the environmental performance of building materials and other products.
Ergonomic Risk Management
Number of assessments for tasks involving manual handling or repetitive motion.
ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards)
ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) are the mandatory sustainability reporting standards developed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) for companies subject to the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). These standards specify what sustainability information companies must disclose regarding their environmental, social, and governance impacts, risks, and opportunities.
E-waste
Electrical or electronic equipment that is waste, including all components, sub-assemblies and consumables that are part of the equipment at the time the equipment becomes waste.
Exceeding regulatory requirements (equipment)
Performance criteria that go beyond minimum legal or code requirements applicable to the equipment.
External
Individuals or groups outside the reporting entity who influence or are influenced by its activities or decisions (e.g., investors, customers/tenants, communities).
External voluntary framework(s)
Non-mandatory standards, guidelines, or initiatives developed by external organizations to guide greenhouse gas emissions management and reduction.
Externally assured
Applies to instances where a third party has reviewed the data against an existing scheme.
Externally checked
Applies to instances when a third party has reviewed the data in a structured and consistent process, but no official certification has been awarded.
Externally verified
Applies to instances where a third party has reviewed the data against an existing scheme.
F
Fatality
The death occurring in the current reporting period, arising from an injury or disease sustained or contracted.
Financial consequences
Predetermined monetary benefits (or detriments) incorporated into the employee compensation structures. Examples include bonuses, raises, profit-sharing, financial rewards, and financial incentives. The financial consequences are contingent upon the achievement of the annual performance targets.
Financial control
In the context of GHG emission calculation, an approach in which the organization accounts for 100% of the GHG emissions over which it has financial control. It does not account for GHG emissions from operations it owns equity in but does not have financial control over.
The organization has financial control over the operation if it can direct the operation's financial and operating policies with a view to gaining economic benefits from the operation's activities.
The organization may have financial control over the operation even if it has less than a 50 percent equity in that operation.
Financial incentives
Predetermined monetary benefits (or detriments) incorporated into the supplier's compensation structures. Examples include bonuses, raises, profit-sharing, financial rewards, and financial incentives. The financial consequences are contingent upon the achievement of the annual performance targets. Note: If a promotion/demotion consequence is listed as financial, then it can be accepted. Note: Consequences can be negative.
Financial Power Purchase Agreement (financial/virtual PPA)
A contract for the financial settlement of renewable electricity at a fixed price, without physical delivery. The buyer receives the associated Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs).
Flooding
Flooding refers to the inundation of normally dry areas with water from rivers, oceans, storms, or other sources, serving as a key mechanism through which climate change and extreme weather events affect infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems. It may result in displacement of populations, damage to property and infrastructure, contamination of water supplies and supply chain disruptions, particularly in low-lying and coastal areas.
Focus group
A selected group of participants tasked with gathering and acting upon feedback, insights, or opinions on a specific topic, product, service, or initiative.
Free Cooling
A cooling design approach that uses cool ambient conditions to meet part or all of a facility’s cooling requirements, reducing or eliminating reliance on mechanical cooling, including compressors, and thereby supporting lower energy use.
Freshwater (<1000 mg/L TDS)
Any water that contains less than 1000 mg per liter of total dissolved solids (TDS). This is a measure of water quality.
Frequently, with most customers
Engage at least 50% of customers on sustainability issues (the majority of customers), e.g., during lease negotiation or supporting engagements.
FTE
Full Time Equivalent, a unit to measure the number of employed persons to make them comparable regardless of the number of working hours. FTE can be calculated by comparing the number of hours worked by an employee against the average number of hours of a full time worker. For example, if the number of hours worked by an employee in a week is 20, and the standard full time work week consists of 40 hours, the employee is counted as 0.5 FTE.
Fuel switching
The replacement of higher-emission fuels with lower-emission alternatives to reduce emissions per unit of energy consumed.
Fugitive emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from intentional or unintentional releases, such as methane during transport of natural gas and HFC emissions from refrigeration equipment.
Fund or vehicle
Terms used to describe a structure where at least three investors’ capital is pooled together and managed as a single entity with a common investment aim. For the purposes of these definitions, these terms can be used interchangeably.
Fund/portfolio manager
A person or a group who manages a portfolio of investments and the deployment of investor capital by creating and implementing asset level strategies across the entire portfolio or fund.
G
Geothermal
Energy generated from heat within the Earth's crust.
GHG consolidation approach
The method used to define which operations and assets are included when accounting for greenhouse gas emissions.
Government Entity
A real estate portfolio managed by a government agency (e.g. U.S. General Services Administration, GSA). Government portfolios are formed of publicly owned, publicly managed and publicly leased properties.
Governmental framework(s)
Non-binding guidelines or initiatives established by government bodies to support greenhouse gas emissions management.
Green building rating systems
A rating system/certificate for real assets that uses a wide set of environmental criteria. Successful completion of the rating assessment typically results in the award of a certificate that records (a) the completion of the rating assessment process and (b) the level achieved.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Refers to the seven gases listed in the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
Greenhouse gas emissions reduction actions
Specific measures implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the entity’s strategy.
GRI
GRI stands for Global Reporting Initiative, an independent organization dedicated to providing standards for sustainability reporting.
Groundwater
Freshwater that is found beneath the Earth's surface that supplies wells and springs.
H
Habitat
The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
Habitat enhanced or restored
Disturbed habitat that is identified and improved for the benefit of native animal and plant species that occur there.
Habitat protected
Habitat that is secured from impacts to prevent fragmentation, species extinction or reduction in range.
Habitat removed
Destruction, removal or displacement of natural habitat.
Habitats for threatened and endangered species
Areas that contain habitat for plant and animal species identified as threatened or endangered by a national or intergovernmental authority (e.g., US Fish and Wildlife Service, Australian Department of Environment, EU Habitats Directive, European Red List of Threatened Species, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature).
Health & Safety
Protecting the entity's stakeholders from harm or death due to injury or disease. Often, this is executed by developing policy, analyzing and controlling health and safety risks, providing training, and recording and investigating health and safety incidents.
Health & Safety strategy
The entity’s overall approach and direction of travel for managing health and safety, including the use of leading indicators, preventive controls, standardized procedures, and right-sized management practices to improve safety performance and support a resilient safety culture.
Heat stress
Heat stress as an impact driver refers to rising temperatures and extreme heat events that serve as a key mechanism through which climate change affects human health, worker productivity, agricultural yields, energy demand, and infrastructure performance. It acts as a fundamental force that cascades through various systems, driving impacts such as reduced labor capacity, increased cooling costs, and heightened health risks, particularly in vulnerable populations and regions.
Historical and heritage sites
Locations with cultural, archaeological, or historical significance that must be identified and considered during the planning and development process to avoid damage or destruction of irreplaceable cultural resources and to maintain positive relationships with local communties.
I
Incident
An unplanned, undesired event with actual or potential adverse impacts.
Industry-agnostic framework(s)
Frameworks that are intended to be applied across multiple sectors and are not specific to one industry.
Industry-specific framework(s)
Frameworks tailored to a the data center sector, addressing industry-specific greenhouse gas emissions sources and reduction approaches.
Integrated Report
An Integrated Report is a report that is aligned with the requirements of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation (IFRS) Integrated Reporting Framework (formerly the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) Integrated Reporting Framework). Integrated reporting joins relevant information about both the entity's financial and non-financial strategy, governance, performance, and prospects in a manner that conveys the holistic commercial, social, and environmental context in which it operates.
Internal and external communication protocols
Established processes for communicating relevant information within the entity and to external stakeholders.
Internal
Individuals or groups within the reporting entity who directly contribute to, oversee, or are affected by its operations and decisions (e.g., employees, leadership, contractors working under the organization's direction).
Investment committee
A group of selected people who establish a formal process to manage the plan’s investment strategy.
Investment in public goods and infrastructure
Investment in public goods and infrastructure refers to financial resources allocated toward publicly funded assets and systems that serve the broader community, such as roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, public transportation, parks, libraries, and telecommunications networks. These investments are essential for supporting economic activity, improving quality of life, and providing the foundational systems that enable communities and businesses to function effectively.
Investment in utilities and associated infrastructure
Investment in utilities and associated infrastructure refers to capital expenditures made to develop, upgrade, or maintain electrical grids.
Investor or similar stakeholder
An investor or other interested party who uses the disclosed information to understand and assess the entity’s sustainability-related approach, practices, or performance.
ISIN
International Securities Identification Number. ISINs are assigned to securities to facilitate unambiguous clearing and settlement procedures. They are composed of a 12-digit alphanumeric code and act to unify different ticker symbols, which can vary by exchange and currency for the same security. In the United States, ISINs are extended versions of 9-character CUSIP codes.
ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is an international standard that provides a framework for organizations to establish and maintain an environmental management system (EMS). It helps organizations systematically manage their environmental responsibilities, reduce their environmental impact, and demonstrate compliance with environmental regulations through continuous improvement processes.
ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
A framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an environmental management system to manage environmental responsibilities and improve environmental performance.
ISO 28000 Security Management System
A framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a security management system, including aspects relevant to supply chain security and resilience.
ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management System
A framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an anti-bribery management system designed to help organizations prevent, detect, and respond to bribery.
ISO 45001
ISO 45001 is an international standard that provides a framework for occupational health and safety (OH&S) management systems. It helps organizations systematically manage workplace safety risks, prevent work-related injuries and illnesses, and create safer, healthier working environments through continuous improvement and employee participation.
ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System
A framework for establishing, implementing, and maintaining an occupational health and safety management system to provide safe and healthy workplaces and prevent work-related injury and ill health.
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
Establishes the criteria for an occupational health and safety management system. Occupational health and safety management systems guide organizations to provide a safe and healthy workplace by preventing work-related injury and ill health and proactively improving their occupational health and safety performance.
ISO 46001 Water Efficiency Management System
A framework for establishing, implementing, and maintaining a water efficiency management system to improve water use efficiency and water management practices.
ISO 50001 Energy Management System
A framework for establishing systems and processes necessary to improve energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy use, and energy consumption.
J
Joint Venture
A vehicle where at least two parties share a common investment objective. Control over significant risk management decisions is not transferred to an external manager, but is exercised by members in the venture.
L
Lagging metrics
Lagging metrics, are “backward looking”: they refer to incidents or events that have already happened. They are often used in health and safety to track past events but should be combined with leading or other metrics to encourage the development of a culture of safety.
Landscape and site design
Design requirements for external site areas, landscaping, and ecological features that support biodiversity, stormwater management, reduced irrigation demand, employee wellbeing, and protection or restoration of local habitat.
Leadership Context
Contextual information that enables investors and other stakeholders to understand, interpret, and assess the entity’s response to the Leadership indicators, including relevant background on strategy, governance, implementation, and market or organizational circumstances.
Leadership
The entity’s approach to integrating sustainability into its overall business strategy, setting relevant commitments and objectives, and assigning responsibility for sustainability-related decision-making across the organization.
Leading metrics
Leading metrics demonstrate actions taken by the entity to prevent negative impacts from occurring in the present or future. By tracking leading health and safety metrics, organizations can push for continuous improvement efforts and foster a culture of safety.
LEED
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green building certification program that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. It rates buildings based on their environmental performance across categories like energy efficiency, water conservation, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)
The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a unique global identifier for legal entities participating in financial transactions. Also known as an LEI code or LEI number, its purpose is to help identify legal entities on a globally accessible database.
Lifecycle
Refers to the stage of development of the sites included in the reporting entity and is used to distinguish between sites that are under development and those that are operational.
New Development: represents MW capacity associated with sites that were actively under design, permitting, construction, commissioning, expansion, and/or major renovation during the reporting year. This excludes land holdings that are not actively under development.
Operational: represents MW capacity associated with sites that were operational and delivering data center services during the reporting year.
Exclusions: Sites that are not energized – e.g., connected to electric power sufficient for operations – should be excluded. Facilities not functionally-related to data center development and operations are excluded from the scope of the data center assessment, e.g., offices, storage, logistics, maintenance, etc.
Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)
A comprehensive methodology for evaluating the environmental impacts of a product, process, or service throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and end-of-life disposal or recycling. It quantifies resource consumption, emissions, and other environmental effects across all stages, providing a holistic view that helps identify opportunities for improvement and supports informed decision-making in product design and sustainability strategies.
Light pollution
Excessive or obtrusive artificial light also known as photo pollution or luminous pollution. Examples of light pollution and reflection include: spilled light from construction zones and parking lots which may impact breeding grounds or resting areas; highly reflective towers which may affect bird flight.
Light pollution mitigation
Measures implemented during construction to minimize light emissions and their impact on surrounding environments, including reducing light trespass, limiting skyglow, and protecting sensitive receptors such as watercourses and nocturnal habitats.
Local jobs created
Local jobs created refers to the number of new employment positions generated within a specific geographic area or community, typically measured as a result of business expansion, new company establishment, or economic development initiatives. This metric is often used to assess the economic impact of investments, projects, or policies on local employment levels and community economic well-being.
Local property tax paid
Local property tax paid refers to the amount of tax remitted to local government authorities (such as municipalities, counties, or school districts) based on the assessed value of real estate owned by the organization. These taxes typically fund local services like schools, police, fire departments, and infrastructure maintenance, and are usually calculated as a percentage of the property's assessed value.
Location-based emissions
A method to calculate Scope 2 emissions based on the average emissions intensity of the electricity grid where energy is consumed (e.g., emissions calculated using grid-average emission factors, regardless of renewable energy procurement). Emission factors are often defined using geographic locations. These can be based on local, subnational, or national boundaries.
Lost time injuries (LTI)
Lost Time Injuries (LTI) are workplace injuries or illnesses that result in an employee being unable to return to work for their next scheduled shift or work day. These incidents are significant enough to prevent the worker from performing their regular duties, distinguishing them from minor injuries that may require medical treatment but don't cause work absence.
Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)
LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) is a safety performance metric that measures the number of lost time injuries per million hours worked by employees. It's commonly used in industries to track and benchmark workplace safety performance, with a lost time injury being one that results in an employee being unable to return to work for a period of time.
M
Managed Operator
A data center offering server and data storage services, where the customer pays for a service and the vendor provides and manages the required ICT hardware/software and data center equipment. This management service includes the co-hosting of multiple customers, which may take the form of a cloud application environment.
Management-level
The level of the organization responsible for managing operations and implementing strategic objectives. Management-level should be interpreted as senior individuals or bodies with formal responsibility for day-to-day decision-making and the implementation of sustainability-related matters. These roles are typically defined through formalized responsibilities, reporting lines, or governance documents.
Market-based emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity consumption, calculated based on the emissions from the energy sources that the entity contractually purchases.
Marketing and communications
The integration of sustainability considerations into external communications, ensuring alignment between sustainability commitments, performance, and messaging.
Material
Information is material if omitting, misstating, or obscuring it could reasonably be expected to influence decisions that primary users of general-purpose financial reports make based on those reports, which include an entity's relevant environmental, social, or governance disclosures.
Materiality assessment
The process for determining and prioritizing which environmental, social, and governance issues are material to an entity.
Mechanical and electrical plant
The selection, installation, configuration, maintenance and management of the mechanical and electrical plant.
Mechanisms for evaluation and corrective action
Processes used to review greenhouse gas emissions performance and implement changes or improvements where needed.
Minimum design PUE (dPUE)
A defined design-stage energy efficiency target for a data center, expressed as the ratio of total facility energy to IT equipment energy. The target is used to guide the design, layout, equipment selection, and performance expectations of the facility before operation.
Modular assembly
Characteristics of materials related to environmental impact, such as embodied carbon, resource use, recycled content, or lifecycle performance.
Modular capacity planning
The process for determining the required capacity for power, cooling, and IT equipment at initial deployment and for future expansion, ensuring that each module meets load requirements without exceeding design limits and can be scaled through the seamless integration of additional modules.
Modular expansion ports
Pre-installed interfaces, connection points, or infrastructure provisions designed to enable the future addition or integration of new modules or systems with minimal disruption.
Multi-tenant (hyperscale)
Multi-tenant (hyperscale) data centers are large-scale facilities that provide hyperscale-level infrastructure and capacity to multiple large organizations or cloud service providers within the same building or campus. These facilities combine the efficiency, scale, and advanced infrastructure of hyperscale design with the flexibility to serve several major tenants, each typically occupying significant portions of the facility with dedicated power allocations, while sharing common infrastructure like buildings, cooling systems, and utility connections.
N
Natural Gas
Gaseous fossil fuel comprised mostly of methane. Can be compressed (CNG) or liquified (LNG).
Near-miss incidents
Unplanned events or situations in the workplace that had the potential to cause injury, illness, or damage but did not actually result in harm due to chance, timely intervention, or other factors. They serve as valuable safety indicators and learning opportunities, as analyzing near misses can help identify hazards and prevent actual accidents from occurring.
Noise pollution
Also known as environmental noise, noise pollution is the propagation of noise with harmful impact on the activity of human or animal life.
Noise pollution mitigation
Measures implemented during construction to minimize noise impacts on surrounding communities and environments on-site during and after construction.
Non-renewable energy
Energy sources that cannot be replenished in a short time through natural cycles or processes.
Nuclear
Energy generated from nuclear reactions. This includes nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. Nuclear energy is not renewable.
O
Objectives
Actionable goals arising from policies that an entity sets itself to achieve. Objectives should be quantifiable and correlated with the entity's ambitions. In turn, they determine targets, which are detailed performance requirements necessary to achieve the objectives.
Obsolescence risk management
It identifies and addresses the dangers of using outdated technology, from security breaches to operational inefficiencies.
Off-site electricity procurement / contractual instruments
The purchase of electricity or associated contractual instruments (e.g., power purchase agreements or energy attribute certificates) to reduce market-based emissions, where the environmental attributes are contractually allocated to the entity.
On-site (behind-the-meter) energy generation
Energy produced at a property or facility for direct use by that site, rather than purchased from an external supplier or delivered through the public utility grid.. For example, solar PV-generated electricity.
On-site habitat protection
Measures to protect native habitat structure, function, or ecological conditions on-site during and after construction.
On-site habitat restoration
Measures to restore and enhance native habitat structure, function, or ecological conditions on-site during and after construction.
Open-end fund
An investment vehicle with a variable and unlimited amount of capital. Investors may purchase or redeem units or shares from the vehicle as outlined in contractual agreements.
Operating Budget
The allocation of financial resources within operational budgets to support sustainability initiatives, activities, or ongoing performance management. Dedicated full-time equivalents (FTEs) may also be accepted as a proxy for operational resource allocation.
Operating System /Virtualisation
The selection, installation, configuration, maintenance and management of the Operating System and virtualisation (both client and hypervisor) software installed on the IT equipment. This includes monitoring clients, hardware management agents etc.
Operational control
In the context of GHG emission calculation, an approach in which the organization accounts for 100% of the GHG emissions over which it has operational control. It does not account for GHG emissions from operations it owns equity in but does not have operational control over.
An organization accounts for 100 percent of emissions from operations over which it or one of its subsidiaries has operational control.
Generally, if the organization is the operator of a facility, it will have the full authority to introduce and implement its operating policies and thus has operational control.
Opportunistic
An entity of preponderantly non-core investments that is expected to derive most of its return from appreciation/ depreciation and/ or which is expected to and may exhibit significant volatility in returns. This volatility may be due to a variety of characteristics, such as exposure to development, significant leasing risk, high leverage, or a combination of moderate risk factors. High-risk entities that invest in greater yielding assets; for example, developments without pre-leasing, properties involving significant repositioning or that are distressed, and large portfolio acquisitions, purchased to be re-packaged and sold in smaller lot sizes. Opportunity funds generally maintain higher leverage limits and have shorter holding periods for assets.
Owner-Operator (Multi-tenant)
A data center in which multiple customers locate their own network(s), servers and storage equipment. The owner, a third party, or colocation may physically manage the equipment.
Owner-Operator (Single-tenant)
A data center which has the sole purpose of the delivery and management of services to its employees and customers and that is operated by an enterprise.
P
Partnerships
The incorporation of sustainability considerations into collaborations with external stakeholders, including suppliers, clients, or industry partners, to achieve sustainability objectives.
Partnerships with local educational institutions
Affiliations with local schools and/or universities to develop training or skills and enhance community education.
Perception Surveys
Feedback on leadership commitment, communication, and psychological safety.
Performance measurement, data management, and reporting systems
Structured processes or tools used to track, manage, and report greenhouse gas emissions data and performance.
Performance metrics
Performance metrics are quantifiable measures used to track, assess, and evaluate how well an organization, process, or individual is achieving specific objectives or goals. They provide objective data points that enable monitoring of progress, identification of areas for improvement, and informed decision-making across various aspects of business operations, sustainability, safety, or other key performance areas.
Person accountable
A person with sign off (approval) authority over the deliverable task, project or strategy. The accountable person can delegate the work to other responsible people who will work on the implementation and completion of the task, project or strategy.
Physical climate-related resilience
The ability of the entity to withstand, adapt to, and recover from climate-related risks and impacts over time.
Physical climate-related risk
Physical risks emanating from climate change can be event-driven (acute) such as increased severity of extreme weather events (e.g., cyclones, droughts, floods, and fires). They can also relate to longer-term shifts (chronic) in climatic patterns such as precipitation and temperature changes.
Physical Power Purchase Agreement (Physical PPA)
A contract for the physical delivery of (or title to) renewable electricity through the grid.
Policy
A policy is an organizational commitment, direction or intention that is formally adopted by the organization. It may serve the purpose of:
Outlining rules and procedures
Providing principles that guide action
Setting roles and responsibilities
Describing values and beliefs
Stating an intention to act or achieve defined goals and/or company vision
Pre-fabricated modules
Constructed off-site modules containing integrated data center infrastructure components that are transported to site for assembly and deployment.
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is a manufacturing process where building components or modules are constructed in a controlled factory environment and then transported to the construction site for assembly. This approach can improve quality control, reduce construction time and waste, enhance worker safety, and lower overall project costs compared to traditional on-site construction methods.
Private entity
An entity of preponderantly non-core investments that is expected to derive most of its return from appreciation/ depreciation and/ or which is expected to and may exhibit significant volatility in returns. This volatility may be due to a variety of characteristics, such as exposure to development, significant leasing risk, high leverage, or a combination of moderate risk factors. High-risk entities that invest in greater yielding assets; for example, developments without pre-leasing, properties involving significant repositioning or that are distressed, and large portfolio acquisitions, purchased to be re-packaged and sold in smaller lot sizes. Opportunity funds generally maintain higher leverage limits and have shorter holding periods for assets.
Public entity
A company that is publicly listed and traded on a recognized stock exchange, such as Nasdaq or NYSE. Also known as "listed entities”.
PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness)
A metric used to measure the energy efficiency of a data center, defined as the ratio of total facility energy consumption to IT equipment energy consumption. PUE is used to assess and benchmark the efficiency of infrastructure systems supporting IT loads, with lower values indicating higher energy efficiency. For more information, see The Green Grid White Paper 49: PUE: A Comprehensive Examination of the Metric and Schneider Electric’s White Paper “Guidance for Calculation of Efficiency (PUE) in Data Centers”
R
Rainwater or stormwater management
Measures implemented to manage water flows and quality during and after construction to reduce runoff, prevent pollution, and protect receiving water bodies.
Recycled water
Water that has been reused before discharge to final treatment or the environment. This can include water that was treated prior to reuse and water that was not treated prior to reuse. It can also include collected rainwater and wastewater generated by household processes such as washing dishes, laundry, and bathing (grey water).
Recycling
Recycling is the process of collecting, processing, and converting waste materials into new products to prevent waste from entering landfills and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials. It helps conserve natural resources, reduce environmental pollution, and decrease energy consumption compared to producing new products from virgin materials.
Regulatory compliance
The incorporation of sustainability-related laws, regulations, and standards into business processes and decision-making to ensure compliance and manage regulatory risk.
Refrigerant management
Practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerants, including leakage prevention, monitoring, and the use of lower-impact alternatives.
REIT
A Real Estate Investment Trust is an investment vehicle for real estate that is comparable to a mutual fund. Listed REITs are traded on a stock exchange.
Remote management interfaces
Systems or interfaces that enable remote monitoring, control, and management of operational parameters, infrastructure systems, or equipment within a data center environment.
Renewable energy
Energy derived from sources that can be replenished in a short time through natural cycles or processes, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass.
Renewable energy certificate (REC)
REC is also known as Tradeable Renewable Certificates (TRCs) and green tags, represent proof that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from renewable sources and fed into the power grid.
Renewable energy factor (REF)
The share of renewable energy in the total energy consumption of the data center. It reflects the extent to which energy use is supplied by renewable sources, rather than the efficiency of electricity generation itself.
Renewable Power Annual Match
Renewable Power Annual Match refers to the practice of matching an organization's total annual electricity consumption with an equivalent amount of renewable energy generation or renewable energy certificates over the course of a year. This approach allows organizations to claim 100% renewable energy use on an annual basis, even if the renewable energy isn't delivered at the exact time of consumption, supporting clean energy goals and grid decarbonization.
Renewable Power Hourly Match
Renewable Power Hourly Match refers to the practice of matching an organization's electricity consumption with renewable energy generation or certificates on an hour-by-hour basis, rather than annually. This more stringent approach ensures that renewable energy is actually being produced at the same time electricity is being consumed, providing a more accurate representation of real-time clean energy use and supporting grid stability.
Research and development
The integration of sustainability considerations into the design and prioritization of innovation and development activities.
Resilience
Resilience refers to the ability of systems, organizations, or communities to withstand, adapt to, and recover from environmental, social, or economic disruptions while maintaining essential functions. It involves building adaptive capacity, diversifying resources and strategies, and creating flexible systems that can respond effectively to challenges like climate change, resource scarcity, or supply chain disruptions.
Responsible Siting
A structured site selection approach that incorporates preservation, conservation, and protection strategies to minimize negative impacts on existing land and its surroundings. It encourages the use of previously occupied or contaminated land where appropriate, limits development on inappropriate sites, and seeks to protect wildlife, ecological features, and the surrounding environment during site preparation and construction.
Retail co-location
Retail co-location data centers are facilities where multiple organizations rent space, power, and cooling infrastructure to house their own servers and IT equipment within a shared, professionally managed environment. These facilities offer businesses the benefits of enterprise-grade infrastructure, security, and connectivity without the capital investment and operational overhead of building and maintaining their own data centers, with services typically sold in standardized units like cabinet racks or cages.
Retail electricity price protection actions
Actions taken to minimize price increases for local communities, for example, collaborations with utilities, investments in efficiency improvements and behind-the-meter generation.
Risk assessment
Careful examination of the factors that could potentially adversely impact the value or longevity of a data center. The results of the assessment assist in identifying measures that have to be implemented in order to prevent and mitigate the risks.
Risk evaluation
Comparing risk analysis results with risk criteria to determine whether the residual risk is tolerable.
Risk Management
The understanding and mitigation of material sustainability risks and opportunities.
Risk mitigation
Risk mitigation refers to the process of implementing strategies, controls, or actions to reduce the likelihood of identified risks occurring or to minimize their potential impact if they do occur. It involves proactive planning and resource allocation to address vulnerabilities and build resilience against potential threats to an organization's operations, assets, or objectives.
Risk screening
Risk screening is a preliminary assessment process used to systematically identify and evaluate potential risks to determine their likelihood and potential impact, helping organizations prioritize which risks require more detailed analysis or immediate action. It serves as an efficient first step in risk management by filtering out low-priority concerns and focusing resources on the most significant threats to operations, assets, or objectives.
S
Safety audits
Safety audits are systematic, independent examinations of workplace safety practices, procedures, and conditions to evaluate compliance with safety regulations, identify potential hazards, and assess the effectiveness of existing safety management systems. They typically involve reviewing documentation, observing work practices, interviewing employees, and providing recommendations for improvement to prevent accidents and ensure regulatory compliance.
Separate Account
SMAs, also referred to as managed accounts, wrap accounts or individually managed accounts, are portfolios managed exclusively for the investor according to their investing and tax preferences and requirements. The investor owns the underlying assets directly, unlike a mutual fund.
Scenario analysis
Scenario analysis refers to the systematic use of scenarios in order to better understand the relevant impacts on an organization, and facilitate the creation of robust strategies under probable and potential future developments. It can help the participant to inform their financial planning process and provide insights into their strategies’ resilience to different climate-related scenarios.
Scope 1 emissions
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions that occur from sources owned or controlled by the entity (e.g., emissions from backup generators or refrigerant leakage in cooling systems). These are the emissions that an organization has the most direct control over and are typically the first priority in carbon reduction strategies.
Scope 2 emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from the generation of purchased or acquired electricity, heating, cooling, or steam consumed by the entity (e.g., emissions associated with electricity used to power servers and cooling systems).
While the organization doesn't directly produce these emissions, they result from the energy the organization buys and uses, making them an important component of corporate carbon footprints that can be reduced through energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement.
Scope 3 emissions
Scope 3 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in an organization's value chain but are not owned or directly controlled by the organization, excluding Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (e.g., emissions from the production of servers and equipment or upstream transportation).
Scope 3 emissions are those associated with tenant areas, unless they are already reported as Scope 1 or Scope 2 emissions (if they cannot be disassociated from emissions from other areas). Scope 3 emissions do not include emissions generated through the entity’s operations or by its employees, transmission losses, or upstream supply chain emissions.
Senior decision-maker or executive with end responsibility
A senior individual with sign-off (approval) authority and ultimate accountability for greenhouse gas emissions strategy, including approving objectives and overseeing the actions taken to achieve them.
Senior decision-maker responsible for sustainability-related issues
A senior individual with sign off (approval) authority for approving strategic sustainability objectives and steps undertaken to achieve these objectives. The responsible person oversees day-to-day execution, coordinates relevant stakeholders, and ensures progress towards define sustainability goals, but does not hold final-sign off authority for approving strategic decisions.
Shared sustainability action plans and/or strategies
A detailed plan outlining actions needed to enhance progress towards sustainability-specific requirements. An action plan has four major elements: (1) Specific tasks: what will be done and by whom; (2) Time horizon: when will it be done; (3) Resource allocation: what specific funds are available for specific activities, and (4) Measurable outcomes.
Site
A discrete physical location containing one or more data centers or a group of structures/buildings that support data processing, storage, networking, power, cooling, security, and connectivity.
The intent is that a site is homogeneous with respect to controlling local authority, physical electricity supply, resource management issues, and land use context (e.g., rural, suburban, urban).
A site should occur entirely within a single political boundary (e.g., city, county, or equivalent administrative division), utility service territory, and major water resource management area.
Ultimately, these decisions seek to help investors and other data users understand the distribution of business models and control that influence opportunities and constraints on sustainability management and performance measurement.
In this context, a participant needs to consider several factors:
Sites are intended to be discreate physical locations that are homogeneous with respect to key factors influencing sustainability management and performance.
This may allow for the aggregation of multiple facilities or even campuses if they share similar business models and patterns of operational control.
Alternatively, this may require splitting campuses or even facilities if they differ materially in business models and patterns of control.
This information is essential for investors and other stakeholders to understand what a developer or operator can and cannot control across their portfolio. This facilitates a constructive, actionable dialog between stakeholders.
Site disturbance minimization
Measures implemented during construction to limit disruption to existing site conditions, including soils, vegetation, and habitats.
Site selection and land use
Encourage the use of previously occupied or contaminated land. Encourage development on land that already has limited value to wildlife and to protect existing ecological features from substantial damage during site preparation and completion of construction works.
Single-tenant (hyperscale)
Single tenant (hyperscale) data centers are large-scale facilities designed, built, and operated exclusively for one organization - typically a major cloud service provider or technology company - that requires massive computing capacity and infrastructure. These facilities are characterized by their enormous size (often tens or hundreds of megawatts), high degree of standardization and automation, efficient cooling and power systems, and the ability to rapidly scale to support the exponential growth demands of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other data-intensive applications.
Special Purpose Vehicle
Subsidiary created by a parent company to isolate financial risk. Its legal status is of a separate company, with its own balance sheet.
STEM education investment
STEM education investment refers to financial resources allocated toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational programs, infrastructure, and initiatives. This can include funding for equipment, curriculum development, teacher training, student scholarships, research facilities, and outreach programs aimed at improving STEM literacy and preparing students for careers in these critical fields.
Strategy
To define and clearly communicate a target, direction, or program (internally at minimum), while also preparing and implementing the actions required to achieve it.
Strategy Goal Setting
The establishment of sustainability goals informed by material environmental, social, and governance related issues, risk assessments, or performance data, aimed at improving specific sustainability factors and/or overall operational performance.
Sustainability attributes (materials)
Characteristics of materials related to environmental impact, such as embodied carbon, resource use, recycled content, or lifecycle performance.
Sustainability best practices (construction)
Established construction practices that reduce environmental impact and are commonly recognized in industry standards or green building frameworks.
Sustainability criteria in supplier selection
Sustainability-specific requirements or evaluation criteria included in procurement, tendering, Request for Proposal (RFP), supplier qualification, or onboarding processes to assess whether suppliers and/or service providers meet the entity’s expectations before contract award or engagement.
Sustainability data exchange
The collection, disclosure, or sharing of supplier sustainability data to assess, monitor, or improve supplier performance. This disclosure can be done with the entity or externally.
Sustainability equipment specifications
Requirements or preferences for equipment that address sustainability performance and exceed applicable regulatory or code requirements.
Sustainability feedback sessions
Meetings, workshops, or engagement sessions with suppliers to discuss sustainability-specific issues, performance, concerns, improvement opportunities, or progress toward the entity’s sustainability objectives.
Sustainability issues
Topics related to environmental, social, and governance performance that are relevant to the organization’s activities, responsibilities, and decision-making.
Sustainability Management Certification
Recognized certifications, issued by an independent third party, demonstrating that the entity meets the requirements of established sustainability-related standards (e.g., environmental, energy, or health and safety).
Sustainability objectives
Strategic priorities and key topics for the management and/or improvement of sustainability, resilience, and efficiency issues.
Sustainability strategy
Strategy which (1) sets out the participant’s procedures and (2) sets the direction and guidance for the entity’s implementation of sustainability measures.
Sustainability training and education
Training, guidance, tools, or educational resources designed to increase awareness and knowledge of sustainability issues.
Sustainable design requirements
Sustainability-specific requirements, priorities, or performance expectations incorporated into design and development documents, such as RFPs, contracts, owner’s project requirements, basis of design documents, design briefs, or equivalent project specifications.
Sustainable energy usage
The proportion of energy used by the data center that comes from renewable or sustainable sources.
Sustainable procurement
Encourage, facilitate or require the reduction of consumption of goods within the building or premises and/or the sourcing of sustainable or ethical goods. Clauses can relate to reduction of paper consumption, supply of biodegradable materials, use of recycled paper, building materials, etc.
Supplier code of conduct
A formal document setting out the minimum sustainability-related, ethical, social, environmental, health and safety, and/or human rights requirements that suppliers and/or service providers are expected or required to comply with.
Supplier Engagement
The process of interacting with suppliers to influence, support, or improve sustainability performance, practices, or outcomes.
Supplier performance targets
Sustainability targets set which are assessments of supplier's performance.
Supplier sustainability due diligence
A structured process to identify, assess, and manage sustainability-related risks and performance of suppliers and/or service providers during selection, onboarding, contracting, or periodic review.
Suppliers
Organization upstream from the reporting entity (i.e., in the entity’s supply chain), which provides a product or service that is used in the development of the entity’s own products or services. Note that for the purposes of this assessment, 'suppliers' only refers to tier 1 suppliers with whom the entity has a direct commercial relationship.
Support for local businesses
Any activities and/or investments with local business intended to provide community benefits.
Support for local non-profits
Any activities and/or investments with local non-profit organizations intended to provide community benefits.
T
Targets
Specific, measurable performance goals set to achieve an objective. Targets define the expected level of progress, result, or improvement within a stated timeframe.
TCFD
TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) is a framework developed by the Financial Stability Board that provides recommendations for companies to disclose climate-related financial risks and opportunities. The framework focuses on four core areas: governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets related to climate change impacts on business operations.
Technological Adaptability
The capacity to adjust and evolve in response to changes in technology.
Technology obsolescence
The risk that existing technology becomes less useful, less valuable, or no longer fit for purpose because newer and more effective alternatives become available or because support for the older technology is reduced or discontinued.
Third-party reuse
Reuse or recycling of water supplied by the Entity to a third party.
Third-party Treatment
Treatment of municipal or industrial wastewater by a third party. The treatment can be primary, secondary or tertiary.
Threatened & Endangered (T&E) species
Animal and plant species that are either on the IUCN Red list, or have been designated as threatened, endangered, or protected, by local or national governments.
Total energy consumption
The energy consumed is the electrical energy drawn from the utility grid, and any on-site energy production from generators, solar, wind, or other sources.
Total recordable injuries (TRI)
TRI (Total Recordable Injuries) refers to the total count of all workplace injuries and illnesses that meet the local jurisdiction’s criteria for recording. It's the numerator used to calculate TRIFR and serves as a comprehensive measure of all significant workplace incidents that require documentation under occupational safety regulations.
Total water consumption
Total water consumption refers to the sum of all water used by an organization, facility, or system from all sources. It includes water from municipal supplies, wells, surface water, and any other sources used for cooling, sanitation, irrigation, and other purposes.
Transparency
The extent to which the entity provides clear, relevant, and reliable information on sustainability-related policies, practices, and performance to enable investors and other stakeholders to understand and assess its practices.
TRIFR (Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate)
TRIFR (Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate) is a safety performance metric that measures the total number of recordable workplace injuries per million hours worked. It includes all work-related injuries requiring medical treatment, restricted work, or time away from work, providing a broader measure of workplace safety performance than LTIFR since it captures injuries that don't necessarily result in lost time.
U
UN M49 regions
A standard classification of countries and areas developed by the United Nations for statistical purposes, which groups the world into regions and sub-regions based on geographic and statistical considerations. As defined by the United Nations, this classification is “used to arrange countries or areas into regions and subregions for statistical convenience.”
List of geographic regions
Africa
Africa
Northern Africa
015
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
202
Americas
Americas
Latin America and the Caribbean
419
Americas
Northern America
021
Asia
Asia
Central Asia
143
Asia
Eastern Asia
030
Asia
South-Eastern Asia
035
Asia
Southern Asia
034
Asia
Western Asia
145
Europe
Europe
Eastern Europe
151
Europe
Northern Europe
154
Europe
Southern Europe
039
Europe
Western Europe
155
Oceania
Oceania
Australia and New Zealand
053
Oceania
Melanesia
054
Oceania
Micronesia
057
Oceania
Polynesia
061
Unbundled
Refers to a situation where Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) are separated from the physical electricity they represent and sold or traded independently of the actual energy. The “Unbundled” option should be selected if EACs are acquired via virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) or to reflect the use of “replacement Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)” or “REC arbitrage” in which the original EACs of a particular energy procurement contract are substituted for others on an EAC market.
Utilization
The proportion of installed IT capacity that is actively used, expressed as the ratio of actual IT load to total installed IT capacity.
V
Value Chain
The upstream and downstream actors directly involved in the delivery of services, specifically suppliers and customers.
Value enhancement assessment
The process for evaluating how sustainability-related actions, initiatives, or improvements may enhance an entity’s long-term value.
Value-added
An entity that generally includes a mix of core investments and non-core investments that will have less stable income streams. The entity as a whole is likely to have moderate lease exposure and moderate leverage. As a result, such entities should achieve a significant portion of the return from appreciation/ depreciation and are expected to exhibit moderate volatility.
Moderately higher-risk entities that typically engage in “forms of active management, such as tenant lease-up, repositioning or redevelopment, to generate returns through adding value to the investment properties”.
Vendor cybersecurity screening
A structured assessment of suppliers and/or service providers that access the entity’s systems, data, networks, confidential information, or digital infrastructure to determine whether appropriate information-security and cybersecurity controls are in place to protect them from any unauthorized use or access.
Vertical design standards
Design requirements for the physical building or facility, including building layout, structure, envelope, mechanical and electrical systems, materials, equipment, and other building-level elements that support sustainable design, construction, and operational performance.
Volumetric modules
Fully or largely enclosed building modules manufactured offsite in a factory and assembled onsite, most commonly by stacking or joining them together. These modules typically include the floor, walls, and ceiling, although some may be designed without a floor or roof, and usually require only limited additional work onsite before they are ready for use.
Vulnerability to physical risk
The extent to which an entity is exposed and sensitive to adverse impacts from acute or chronic physical climate-related hazards.
W
Waste heat recovery and export
The process of capturing excess thermal energy that would otherwise be lost, and either reusing it on-site or selling it to external users. This practice improves overall energy efficiency by converting waste heat into useful energy.
Water efficiency measures
Actions undertaken to reduce water consumption and improve efficient use of water as a sustainable resource.
Water outflows/discharges
Discharge of water to water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater) or to third-parties for treatment or use.
Water replenished
Water returned, restored, or offset through actions taken to compensate for water consumption.
Water replaced
The substitution of high-quality potable water with lower-quality non-potable water for suitable uses.
Water reduced
A decrease in water consumption achieved through efficiency improvements or conservation measures.
Water reuse
Water reuse refers to the practice of treating and repurposing wastewater or other non-potable water sources for beneficial uses such as irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing, or even drinking water after appropriate treatment. This approach helps conserve freshwater resources, reduce wastewater discharge, and provide a reliable alternative water supply, particularly in water-scarce regions.
Water stress
Water stress refers to the condition where water demand exceeds available water supply or where poor water quality restricts usage. This has impacts such as reduced agricultural productivity, industrial constraints, ecosystem degradation, and access for local communities, particularly in water-scarce regions.
Water Use analytics
Analysis of water use to determine discrepancies between baseline and actual energy use. Water use analytics help determine whether water use targets are reached, and can highlight opportunities to improve water efficiency and conservation.
Watershed protection and water management
The consideration of measures in site selection and development planning to protect watershed functions and manage water-related impacts, including drainage, runoff, and water resource use.
Wholesale colocation
Wholesale colocation data centers are facilities where organizations lease large, dedicated spaces - such as entire data halls, suites, or building sections - along with power and cooling infrastructure to deploy and manage their own IT equipment at scale. Unlike retail colocation, wholesale arrangements involve significantly larger footprints (typically 1 megawatt or more), longer-term commitments, and give tenants greater control over the space configuration and operations, making them suitable for hyperscalers, large enterprises, and cloud service providers with substantial infrastructure needs.
Wind
Energy generated from wind in turbines. Can be off- or onshore.
Worker
A worker is someone who is either an employee or a contractor, that is, workers include both employees and contractors, and the number of workers is the sum of employees plus contractors.
Workforce education or training
Investment in building skills and knowledge for local workers in the entity’s operations.
Workplace hazard
A workplace hazard is any source, situation, or condition in the work environment that has the potential to cause injury, illness or death to workers.
WUE (Water Usage Efficiency)
A measure of water use efficiency, expressed as the ratio of the amount of water consumed to the energy consumed by IT equipment over a year. For more information, see The Green Grid White Paper 35: Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE)
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