As global temperatures rise, many leading datacenter hubs face heightened risks, increasing cooling demands, costs, and potentially frequent shutdowns to avert overheating during heatwaves. Consultants from Maplecroft, experts in assessing business risks, highlighted that over half of the top 100 global datacenter hubs are already at high risk of exceeding cooling degree days, an index evaluating cooling needs. This figure is anticipated to escalate significantly under high greenhouse gas emission scenarios.

Research indicates that datacenters, though equipped with resilience features like backup power, may struggle under peak demand for AI services and cloud computing. The study suggests that the digital backbone of businesses must prepare for future climate challenges, with a notable forecast that by 2030, 52% of datacenter hubs will face high water stress due to increased consumption needs.

The necessity for cooling could soar, as it already accounts for up to 40% of electricity usage, a demand set to grow with temperature increments. These findings underscore the need for strategic planning to safeguard the operational continuity of datacenters against climate threats.