Data Centers
We approach data center sustainability from the ground up — from design and construction to operations — by prioritizing energy efficiency, clean and renewable energy, water stewardship and responsible management of equipment across our global fleet at end-of-life.
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The center of our global infrastructure
Meta data centers are part of the global infrastructure that brings our technologies and programs to life, making the future of human connection possible. Meta prioritizes efficiency and sustainability through design improvements and site-specific operational solutions, but data centers still account for the highest percentage of our energy and water use.
Delivering next-generation AI products and services at scale requires a next-generation infrastructure
We have invested in scalable infrastructure that supports our needs today and for years to come. At Meta, we design, build, and operate industry-leading infrastructure with innovation, efficiency and flexibility in mind.
Our next-generation data centers will support our current products while enabling future generations of AI growth. Our vision blends high-performance with a mix of custom solutions specific to our unique needs. This design requires fewer square feet to provide similar compute capacity to previous data center designs, improving delivery time and cost efficiency.
Lowering emissions with innovative data center construction practices
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Low carbon concrete
We are piloting and deploying concrete with significantly lower embodied carbon emissions. By substituting cement with tried and tested alternatives such as fly ash and slag, we can reduce the carbon footprint of this essential building material. We are also investing in novel technologies such as AI-optimized concrete formulas to further reduce these emissions at scale.
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Mass timber
We began piloting mass timber in data center campus construction in 2025, with an administration building at our Aiken Data Center, in South Carolina. Mass timber refers to a variety of wood-based products engineered for strength and durability, which acts as substitutes for steel and other common building materials. Sustainably-sourced mass timber helps us reduce the emissions associated with these typical construction materials.
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Decarbonizing with biofuel
To reduce diesel consumption from emergency backup power generators, we have studied the viability of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a replacement and have approved the use of this fuel at several data center locations. Our Clonee Data Center, in Ireland, was the first site to transition to HVO and in early 2025 we expanded our use of HVO to five additional sites in North America.
Data center and network hardware
Each of the hardware components in our data centers have an associated carbon footprint, and we are embracing circularity in our hardware practices to manage these emissions.
Prioritizing sustainable materials
We prioritize the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics and recycled metal (e.g., copper, aluminum and steel) in our data center IT hardware, such as server racks. We aim to reduce the embedded carbon in our server hardware and promote a more sustainable supply chain. We are also exploring lower-carbon materials for packaging and transportation modes to further reduce the value chain emissions.
Expanding circularity to network construction efforts
Building on our experience in data center hardware circularity, we are now applying similar principles to the construction of our network and fiber infrastructure connecting our data centers across the world. We have conducted some of the first LCAs for fiber networks, which inform how to best incorporate low carbon construction materials and fuels to drive emissions reductions as we expand our network infrastructure.
Sustainability impact map
This map highlights our renewable energy procurement and deployment efforts worldwide, water stewardship efforts in the communities we operate in, and other sustainability features across our global portfolio of data centers.
2025 Sustainability Report
Learn more about our progress as we work to achieve net zero emissions across our value chain and become water positive in 2030.
1 Construction Waste is defined as waste materials generated during the construction, renovation and demolition of buildings and roads.