Digital 9 Infrastructure plc
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2021, 2023)
Reporting Period: 2021
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 1 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 2 Emissions:Not disclosed
Scope 3 Emissions:Not disclosed
Renewable Energy Share:100% at Verne Global
Total Energy Consumption:Not disclosed
Water Consumption:Not disclosed
Waste Generated:Not disclosed
Carbon Intensity:Not disclosed
ESG Focus Areas
- Connectivity
- Decarbonisation of digital infrastructure
Environmental Achievements
- 100% renewable power supply at Verne Global data center (Iceland) from hydroelectric (70%) and geothermal (30%) sources. PUE of 1.18.
- Initiatives to move data center usage from hydrocarbon-dominant markets to renewable surplus markets.
Social Achievements
- Supporting NYU research into the carbon efficiency of subsea cables.
- Partnered with the UN’s Taskforce on SMaRT Submarine Cables to encourage the use of cables for seismic monitoring.
- Applying to become a member of the World Ocean Council.
Governance Achievements
- ESG policy guided by relevant frameworks, regulations, best practices and global initiatives.
- Compliance with and disclosure in line with the EU’s Sustainable Financial Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) Article 8 and EU Taxonomy Article 8.
- Additional review of climate risk exposure of investments, aligning to the TCFD’s framework.
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Not disclosed
Medium-term Goals:
- Not disclosed
Short-term Goals:
- Not disclosed
Environmental Challenges
- Not disclosed
Mitigation Strategies
- Not disclosed
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: Not disclosed
Responsible Procurement
- Not disclosed
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Not disclosed
Transition Risks
- Not disclosed
Opportunities
- Not disclosed
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: UN Sustainable Development Goal 9, TCFD, EU’s Sustainable Financial Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) Article 8, EU Taxonomy Article 8, UK’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDRs)
Certifications: Null
Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 9
Increase connectivity to the internet and reducing the digital divide; Environmentally sustainable investment, including decarbonisation of digital infrastructure
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Not disclosed
Awards & Recognition
- Not disclosed
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:15177 tCO2e (aggregated, including unassured Arqiva data)
Scope 1 Emissions:637 tCO2e (aggregated, including unassured Arqiva data)
Scope 2 Emissions:6709 tCO2e (market-based, aggregated, including unassured Arqiva data)
Scope 3 Emissions:7831 tCO2e (aggregated, including unassured Arqiva data)
Renewable Energy Share:82% (aggregated, excluding Arqiva)
Carbon Intensity:42 tCO2e/GWh (aggregated)
ESG Focus Areas
- Net Zero
- Inclusion and Diversity
Environmental Achievements
- All fully owned entities had a net zero roadmap in place by February 2024 (a year ahead of target).
- Targets on energy efficiency (aggregated PUE of 1.3) and growth in network capacity (10%) were met.
Social Achievements
- The Board actively supported Investee Companies' approach to Inclusion and Diversity (I&D), writing to each company to highlight its importance.
- Aqua Comms announced its first live transatlantic commercial 400GE service, increasing fibre capacity while reducing power per bit.
- Verne Global increased senior leadership diversity.
Governance Achievements
- CEO remuneration linked to ESG for several Investee Companies.
- Improved cyber security measures implemented in several Investee Companies.
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Net zero organisation by 2031 across Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and net zero by 2040 on Scope 3 (Arqiva)
Medium-term Goals:
- Develop internal climate governance (Aqua Comms)
- Increase inventory data quality (Elio Networks)
- Improve data collection on ethnic diversity (Arqiva)
Short-term Goals:
- Reduce diesel and refrigerant use (Verne Global)
- Increase procurement of renewable electricity (Aqua Comms and Elio Networks)
- Climate risk assessment across key assets (Aqua Comms)
Environmental Challenges
- Slow progress on Inclusion and Diversity in the sector.
- Access to data, particularly Scope 3 emissions, for some Investee Companies.
- Capacity constraints in small companies to fully engage in all areas of sustainability activity.
- Challenges in collecting diversity information for Arqiva due to workforce nature.
- Outstanding litigation with the BBC impacting Arqiva's reporting.
Mitigation Strategies
- Engaged external specialists Anthesis to support Investee Companies in developing net zero roadmaps.
- Supported Investee Companies in implementing diversity and inclusion policies and training.
- Focused action on a small number of highly relevant engagement topics (Net Zero, Biodiversity, Inclusion & Diversity).
- Arqiva appointed a new Head of Sustainability.
- Arqiva initiated a project to increase diversity data collection.
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Increase in cooling costs due to higher temperatures
- Damage to cable landing stations from rising sea levels
- Delays to fibre laying operations due to surface flooding
- Delays/interruptions to subsea fibre laying and repairs from extreme weather
- Difficulty accessing wireless sites in extreme weather
- Storm damage to wireless towers
Transition Risks
- Grid capacity constraints
- Increased renewable penetration and grid volatility
- Carbon pricing in the supply chain
- Data centre efficiency regulations
Opportunities
- Increased demand for Nordic data centres
- Increased demand for subsea fibre links to areas with abundant renewable energy
- Ability to sell waste heat to heat networks
- On-site renewable energy
- Increased demand for smart metering
- Increased efficiency of wireless assets
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: PRI, UN Global Compact, UN Sustainable Development Goals, TCFD
Third-party Assurance: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 9
Focus on reducing the digital divide and environmental footprint.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Smart metering solutions