CDC says it met its 2030 net-zero target in FY26, four years early
CDC Data Centres told a federal parliamentary inquiry it reached its 2030 net-zero goal four years ahead of plan and reported a PUE of 1.38 for FY26. The operator also set out its views on SOCI regulation and its economic footprint.
CDC Data Centres says it has met its 2030 net-zero target four years ahead of schedule, according to its submission to a federal parliamentary inquiry. Writing to the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, the operator said the goal was reached in FY26 within its own emissions boundary, which takes in Scope 1, Scope 2 and some Scope 3 sources. The company said its sustainability disclosures are prepared under Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards, AASB S2 among them, and receive independent assurance.
CDC put its operational power usage effectiveness at 1.38 for FY26. Its water usage effectiveness figure was below 0.02. The company said it has relied on closed-loop cooling since 2007, in which sealed systems are filled once and the water is recirculated for the life of the facility. CDC said that design means its sites need no continuing water consumption for primary cooling.
On regulation, CDC argued the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) framework is still fundamentally fit for purpose, although it was never built to govern AI. It supported continuing review of the framework's reach so that new technologies and business models, neocloud providers included, fall within it when they carry out nationally significant functions or support critical infrastructure. CDC also urged risk-based, proportionate rules and steps to prevent duplicated compliance burdens for organisations already covered by equivalent Commonwealth security frameworks.
On economic contribution, CDC pointed to modelling it commissioned in 2026. That work estimated CDC had supported AU$2.5 billion in gross value added through construction since 2007, plus roughly AU$444 million in annual economic activity and over 1,600 ongoing jobs. The company also said community consultation should start before formal planning assessment and run through a project's development, with feedback able to influence traffic, construction scheduling, landscaping and environmental management.