Greens call for data centre moratorium amid drought concerns

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for a moratorium on the construction of new data centres in England, citing concerns over their significant water and energy consumption amid a widespread drought. The Labour government has firmly rejected the proposal, arguing it would harm jobs and national security.

Polanski made the demand on August 28, 2026, during a visit to the site of a proposed data centre in East London. He urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to "slam the brakes" on developments, stating that data centres should not be designated as critical national infrastructure. "To most people critical infrastructure means hospitals, water, electricity. It doesn't mean Artificial Intelligence," Polanski said, accusing the government of prioritising tech companies over communities facing water shortages. He argued that the current planning framework allows data centres to be "waved through" without adequate environmental assessment or community consultation.

The Green Party's call comes as large parts of the UK, including the South East where many data centres are clustered, are officially in drought. Data centres require vast amounts of water to cool their systems and...