Environment assessments don’t go far enough, moratorium still crucial
The Scottish Government’s new guidance on hyperscale data centres represents the bare minimum of action Ministers could have taken, and does not stop the need for a moratorium on new sites, say the Scottish Greens.
The comments from Patrick Harvie MSP come as the Scottish Government has announced that Environmental Impact Assessments will now be required on future applications.
Councils are facing a surge of applications for massive new data centres. If just the first 24 were approved, they would consume 1.5 times as much electricity as the whole of Scotland currently uses at peak times.
The SNP’s National Council has backed a pause, and some SNP MSPs have spoken out in support.
Patrick said:
“The requirement for Environmental Impact Assessments is a baby-step forward that has only been secured because of this Green debate. But it’s the bare minimum of what is needed and doesn’t justify opening up our country to a big tech free-for-all.
“Nothing that the government has announced this morning changes the urgent need for a moratorium until we have a national strategy and guidance in place for the councils who are being left to make these decisions in the dark.
“These centres would have huge implications for our environment and our communities, which is why there are local groups all across the country opposing them.
“Every SNP MSP should be asking themselves how on earth they can justify voting against the moratorium than their own party’s national council and so many of their members have called for."