Australia's data centre boom and the embodied carbon problem in concrete and steel

Australia's rapid data centre expansion brings a hidden climate cost: embodied carbon locked into concrete, steel, and mechanical systems before servers even run. A new MECLA report warns that while attention focuses on energy and water, the materials used in construction could become the next major emissions source as grids decarbonise. MEP equipment alone can account for up to 90% of a data centre's lifetime embodied carbon, with structural elements following close behind. The report highlights the need for better Environmental Product Declarations and standardised metrics like AirTrunk's Embodied Carbon Ratio. Australia's mandatory climate disclosure rules, in effect since January 2025, now require large developers to report Scope 3 emissions, which should push suppliers to provide verified carbon data. The article argues that the current boom offers a chance to force upstream industries like concrete, steel, and copper to decarbonise, but only if embodied carbon becomes part of the national conversation.