Global hyperscalers and data center providers today announced the iMasons Climate Accord (ICA), an initiative aimed at using these industry leaders' influence over the market to support the adoption of carbon reduction standards, corporate transparency policies, and industry accountability reports.

According to the nonprofit, its member companies are committing to reduce the amount of embodied carbon in digital infrastructure materials, products, and power, which represented 2.4% of global energy consumption in 2021.

This unification of rival hyperscalers Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Meta (formerly known as Facebook), and Microsoft, along with colocation providers like Aligned and Equinix, suggests the data center industry understands the bigger picture of climate change after putting its traditional competitive atmosphere on hold.

"We cannot do this alone and look forward to working with other forward-thinking companies to decarbonize," AWS VP of data center design engineering Eric Wilcox wrote in a statement.

The coalition's first order of business will be to establish an independent group to govern and define the data center industry's standard carbon measurement methodology. This methodology will focus on "transparency, traceability, and identification of the carbon history of data center power and facilities," according to the group.

"One of the biggest topics of discussion at COP26 was how a lack of reliable and consistent measurement hampers progress on the path to net zero," Microsoft VP Christian Belady said. "We also know that while many companies are making valiant efforts to improve their carbon footprints, scope 3 emissions continue to be the most difficult to control and reduce," he added, which is why being able to measure embodied carbon of all data center components is so important.

Using its standardized methodology, ICA members will be able to report the carbon footprint of a facility or product and then report on their progress toward reducing that embodied carbon.

According to the coalition, this methodology will influence market-based buying decisions and push the industry closer to net-zero carbon emissions.

"We established iMasons to unite the builders of the digital age," Dean Nelson, Infrastructure Masons chairman and founder, wrote in a statement. "The ICA represents an unprecedented collaboration between leading digital infrastructure companies to accelerate our journey to carbon neutrality. Today, we are combining forces to compound the efforts of these firms to make meaningful and sustained progress toward that goal."