Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 25, 2025 – ESC has been appointed by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to lead the ASEAN Guide on Sustainable Data Centre Development. This initiative supports ASEAN’s digital ambitions by embedding sustainability, resilience, and resource efficiency at the core of data centre planning and operations.
Data centres are critical enablers of ASEAN’s digital transformation. At the same time, they place increasing demands on energy, water, and materials. With rapid growth expected across the region, this initiative presents a timely opportunity to shape digital infrastructure that is fit for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
ESC is leading a seven-month study to assess policy and regulatory readiness across all 10 ASEAN Member States. The guide will be structured around the Digital Infrastructure Trilemma, which recognises the need to balance:
- Digital Expansion
- Environmental Sustainability
- Resilience & Resource Security
The guide will also focus on six key sustainability themes:
- Energy – Grid readiness, PUE benchmarks, and efficiency pathways
- GHG Emissions – Scope 1, 2, and 3 tracking and decarbonisation strategies
- Water Management – WUE metrics, cooling technologies, and water stress risks
- E-waste & Circularity – Recovery systems and lifecycle approaches
- Regulatory Frameworks – Licensing, enforcement, policy alignment
- Best Practices & Technology – Innovation, certification, and regional case studies
Stakeholder input across ASEAN will inform the development to ensure alignment with national strategies and industry priorities.
“As governments and businesses across ASEAN scale up their digital infrastructure, it is essential that sustainability is embedded by design,” said Khoo Boon Keat, Country Manager, ESC Malaysia. “We are proud to be working together with MDEC in developing the ASEAN Guide on Sustainable Data Centre Development, a vital step in balancing the region’s rapid digital growth with its climate commitments. This guide offers an opportunity for the region to lead by example and demonstrate that digital growth and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.”
ESC brings over two decades of data centre consulting experience, providing comprehensive environmental, health, and safety (EHS) services across corporate strategy, planning and permitting, and construction and operation phases. The company has supported many of the region’s major data centre providers, like Microsoft, AirTrunk, Princeton Digital Group, and Amazon, among others. ESC has contributed to ASEAN-level policy references and led numerous environmental and social impact studies across Southeast Asia.
This project comes at a strategic moment, as ASEAN Member States introduce new digital economy strategies for 2025–2027. The guide will provide a shared reference to support policy coherence, enable informed investment decisions, and help ensure that ASEAN’s digital future is sustainable by design.
To learn more about ESC’s work on data centres and infrastructure development, visit www.envirosc.com. For more information on MDEC’s work in driving Malaysia’s digital economy, visit www.mdec.my.