Call for experts – Sustainable Data Centres

ECOS is an international NGO with a network of members and experts advocating for environmentally friendly technical standards, policies and laws. With more than 20 years of experience, ECOS represents over 50 national and European members, including the European Environmental Bureau, Friends of the Earth Europe, Transport & Environment and WWF. ECOS is a partner organisation of the standardisation organisations CEN and CENELEC, a member of ETSI, an ITU-T Sector Member and a liaison organisation to IEC & ISO.

Our experts provide us with technical and scientific input and represent ECOS in standardisation processes and multi-stakeholder discussions.

Despite the increasing role of data centres and digital services in our society, sustainability aspects of the digital sector remain largely unregulated. As a result, policy to ensure alignment with the Paris Agreement has been lagging. Digitalisation poses diverse challenges, ranging from the accountability of dominant players to the energy-intensity of digital flows and the subsequent increased dependency on fossil energy sources, whose production and consumption impact our environment and cause social conflicts. They development of data centres also puts pressure on the extraction and refining of minerals that strongly impact vulnerable communities, water and land use. ECOS works to ensure that policy gaps are addressed swiftly and with environmental and human rights interests adequately represented and considered.

Interested candidates should be able to demonstrate in-depth technical and scientific knowledge on how data centres can become more sustainable and specialise in one or more aspects of this discussion (e.g., energy efficiency, cooling systems, water consumption etc.)

The nominated experts will:

• Prepare technical input through official comments and contribution to ECOS position papers;
• Report to and liaise with the responsible ECOS Programme Manager;
• Exchange information with ECOS member organisations and other experts when needed.

ECOS offers:

• A daily fee for preparation of meetings, participation and reporting, as well as other relevant tasks;
• Reimbursement of travel costs;
• Per diem to cover accommodation and subsistence costs.

Please send your CV and cover letter outlining your motivation and demonstrating your suitability to support and represent ECOS to Anastasia Tsougka anastasia.tsougka@ecostandard.org by 15/06/2024 COB. Applications will be assessed by the secretariat on a rolling basis, applying ECOS procurement policy. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.