Canada Unveils Framework for Responsible Data Centre Development
Data centres are critical infrastructure for Canada's digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI), supporting the health care system, financial services, scientific research, and secure government systems.
The Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, announced today that Canada has unveiled Responsible Data Centre Principles to ensure responsible development and growth in the sector.
The new framework sets five clear expectations for data centre projects: creating lasting local benefits, not shifting electricity costs to Canadians, minimizing water use and environmental impacts, being transparent about local impacts, and bringing strategic value to Canada.
A broad cross-section of Canada's data centre, cloud, AI, and technology sectors have signed on to the principles, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Anthropic, Beacon Data Centers, Bell Canada (BCE), BUZZ High Performance Computing (BUZZ HPC), Cohere, Cologix, Denvr Dataworks, Equinixe, Struxture, Google, Hypertec Group, Meta, Micrologic, Microsoft, OpenAI, OVHcloud, Prologis, QScale, Sovereign Digital Infrastructure, TELUS, ThinkOn, and Urbacon Data Centre Solutions.