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Using The Green Grid's position as an internationally-recognised leader on IT resource efficiency, the Government Engagement Committee (GEC) will bring together a broad range of stakeholders - from local and national governments to industry bodies, technical experts, and data centre vendors and operators - to collect, analyse, and share information, co-ordinate meetings and interactions, and create an environment in which the data centre industry can prosper while operating in a sustainable manner in harmony with governments.

"The Green Grid's technical expertise enables it to provide a unique perspective on how to improve resource efficiency," said Rona Newmark, chairman of The Green Grid Association's GEC and vice president, intelligent efficiency, at EMC.

"Data centres make constructive contributions to the economies of many countries, consuming local services, offering upstream services of their own and contributing to growth. However, they are at risk of being misunderstood, because they employ very few people directly, use energy and cause emissions. We aim both to help the industry appreciate the issues that governments are addressing and to help governments better understand the challenges facing the industry."

Much carbon regulation was developed before data centres became an established sector to be considered by policy-makers, Newmark continued: "While data centre owners around the world are improving resource efficiency, data centres remain significant energy users. The Green Grid aims to help develop tools and metrics to assist governments and data centre operators alike, whether they are working within existing regulatory frameworks or attempting to shape new regulation."

Added Lex Coors, Advisory Council member and GEC vice-chair for The Green Grid Association and chief engineering officer at Interxion: "Government action on data centre resource efficiency is inevitable. By bringing both sides together through the GEC, we aim to ensure that any new regulation is implemented in a way that is both appropriate to the industry and as simple as possible for vendors and operators to comply with."