Sustainable AI Infrastructure - a framework to maximise benefits and compete globally

As AI adoption accelerates, the infrastructure needed to support it must evolve in line with Net Zero commitments. This talk introduces the principles of a Sustainable Infrastructure Framework, an approach for investors, developers, and regional authorities to plan, deliver, and manage AI-related infrastructure in a way that balances growth with environmental responsibility. The framework provides three essential benefits: Planning & Alignment – helping investors and developers navigate planning processes more effectively, while ensuring regional needs and sustainability priorities are built in from the outset. Sustainability Outcomes – integrating renewable energy, resource efficiency, excess heat usage and community benefit models, aligning infrastructure development with net zero targets. Global Competitiveness – using sustainability as a differentiator, offering incentivisation mechanisms to attract data centre innovators and AI infrastructure providers seeking regions that can combine resilience, green energy, and clear governance. Drawing on the concepts of AI Growth Zones and devolution, the talk will make the case for a regional coordination layer that supports deployment of local computing capabilities while embedding Net Zero principles in line with the Government initiatives. By doing so, regions can position themselves as leaders in sustainable AI infrastructure, creating long-term economic, social, and environmental value.