Nearly 80% of data center capacity is at elevated risk to climate hazards like flooding and fire, study says

A huge portion, 79%, of all data centers globally are exposed to acute risk from severe, climate-induced weather events. Over half are in markets exposed to chronic climate stress. Data centers are typically expected to be in operation for 20 to 30 years, and investors may not be weighing long-term conditions affected by climate. A huge slice of global data center capacity faces elevated risk to acute climate hazards, a study released Thursday shows. Those acute hazards, which hang over 79% of capacity, include severe climate-induced events such as flooding, extreme winds and wildfires that can disrupt operations, increase downtime and drive insurance and repair costs. by First Street, a climate risk analytics firm. First Street looked at 97 global data center markets in the report. "Most underwriting for real assets still uses historical data, but the climate...