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

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.

Product Code: EUR154412226

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