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Proving the Promise: Does Public Cloud Help or Hurt Sustainability in Europe?

Publisher IDC
Published Apr 10, 2026
Length 15 Pages
SKU # IDC21084351

Description

This IDC Perspective provides an in-depth analysis of cloud sustainability in Europe, contextualized in terms of evolving EU sustainability regulations and major vendor initiatives. The report draws on findings from IDC's 2025 European Cloud Survey and critically examines the gap between public sustainability commitments and the realities faced by organizations, highlighting the operational, regulatory, and infrastructural constraints that impede progress. It explores whether cloud adoption ultimately advances or undermines sustainability objectives, with a particular focus on the environmental impact of hyperscale datacenters (including carbon emissions and water usage). The report also presents fresh insights into end-user organizations' attitudes toward sustainable cloud consumption, the challenges they encounter, and the factors shaping their sustainability strategies. Actionable guidance is offered for technology suppliers seeking to address these challenges and support customers in achieving their sustainability goals.

Table of Contents

15 Pages

Executive snapshot

Key takeaways

market dynamics

Is cloud a double-edged sword for sustainability in Europe?

How cloud helps to achieve sustainability goals

How cloud inhibits the achievement of sustainability goals

AI's paradoxical impact on cloud sustainability

2025 EU regulations that matter in sustainability and their cloud impact

How European customers view sustainability and cloud

Barriers to focusing on sustainability

What Europeans ask for in "sustainable cloud" deals

Cloud and sustainability trends in Europe

Initiatives by cloud vendors to tackle sustainability

AWS: Hyperscale decarbonization and water stewardship

Microsoft: Circularity and grid citizenship

Google: Scaling AI infrastructure alongside clean energy partnerships and advanced resource stewardship

Oracle: Hardware circularity and energy-aware AI

IBM and Red Hat: Software-defined "green AI"

OVHcloud: Vertical industrial model and resource metrics

Anexia: Infrastructure independence and renewable energy ownership

Advice for the technology supplier

1. Prioritize sustainability-by-design in product development

2. Empower customers with unified FinOps and GreenOps

3. Expose granular AI efficiency and token telemetry

4. Operationalize sustainability through policy-as-code guardrails

5. Move beyond periodic reports to API-driven, auditable infrastructure

6. Facilitate deliberate decommissioning and asset circularity

Learn more

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