Asia Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) Announces the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Accord (SDIA)

・The Asia Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) today announced a landmark regional initiative called the "Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Accord (SDIA)," aimed at advancing sustainability in the data centre sector. It seeks to ensure cross-sector alignment, demonstrate leadership, and promote industry-led solutions to address sustainability challenges.

・The SDIA establishes the first common baseline in APAC for industry commitments that are credible, effective, and forward-looking — an accord that takes into account the diverse climate, environmental, energy, and water resource conditions across Asia Pacific markets.

・Voluntary common targets are set across four key sustainability areas: energy efficiency, clean energy adoption, water usage, and circular economy — to accelerate the region-wide transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient digital infrastructure.

Singapore, March 26, 2026 — The Asia Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) today announced the "Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Accord (SDIA)," a landmark Asia Pacific (APAC)-wide initiative to advance sustainability in the data centre industry, timed to coincide with International Data Centre Day.

The SDIA establishes the first common baseline in APAC for industry commitments that are credible, effective, and forward-looking — an accord that reflects a shared commitment to sustainable digital infrastructure growth while acknowledging the varied circumstances of individual markets across the region.

The SDIA also sets voluntary targets across four key sustainability areas to support the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient digital infrastructure in APAC: ・Energy efficiency

・Clean energy adoption

・Water usage

・Circular economy

As a voluntary and non-binding framework, the Accord is designed to complement — not replace — national and regional regulations. It also serves as a platform for ongoing collaboration and dialogue between industry and government, and is designed as a "living framework" intended to be continuously updated and evolved, with the expectation that targets and commitments will be revisited over time.

Jeremy Deutsch, President of APDCA, commented:

"The SDIA reflects the industry's commitment to advancing both digital transformation and sustainability across the Asia Pacific region. The Accord establishes the first common baseline for industry commitments across APAC and serves as a structured platform to facilitate government-industry dialogue toward further progress. The data centre industry will work with policymakers and other stakeholders to achieve sustainable digital and AI transformation across the region."

Anuar Fariz Fadzil, CEO of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), praised the initiative as timely as APAC accelerates digital and AI growth, stating:

"The SDIA reflects the region's commitment to advancing both digital transformation and sustainability. As Malaysia works toward becoming an AI nation by 2030, the importance of sustainable, resilient, and energy-efficient digital infrastructure is growing. Against the backdrop of increasing digital infrastructure demand driven by the expansion of technologies such as cloud and AI, collaborative efforts like this are essential to building a sustainable and climate-resilient digital ecosystem. MDEC remains committed to supporting this transition and reinforcing Malaysia's position as a leading digital hub in APAC."

Aileen Chia, Deputy Chief Executive of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore...