As global data centre capacity accelerates to power the digital economy, sustainability conversations are undergoing a critical shift. While operational energy efficiency has long dominated the narrative, embodied carbon in construction materials is emerging as a decisive frontier in climate action. In this interaction with Business Reporter, Tarun Jami, Founder & CEO of GreenJams, explains why upstream emissions, particularly from cement- and clinker-intensive materials, can no longer be overlooked. He discusses the rising significance of Scope 3 emissions, the transformative potential of carbon-negative Agrocrete, and how material innovation can strengthen both thermal performance and long-term energy efficiency. As grids decarbonise and disclosure norms tighten, Jami outlines how verifiable, low-carbon construction solutions are poised to shape resilient, future-ready digital infrastructure from day one.
1. Data centre sustainability discussions have traditionally focused on energy efficiency. Why do you believe embodied carbon at the construction stage now deserves equal attention?
Ans. As data centres become increasingly energy-efficient and are powered by cleaner electricity, the carbon left on the table shifts upstream into materials and construction. Embodied carbon is also front-loaded. It occurs before the first server is switched on and cannot be retrofitted away later.
As grids continue to decarbonise, the relative importance of embodied carbon rises, making it one of the most actionable near-term levers for real emissions reduction in digital infrastructure.
2. From GreenJams’ perspective, how significant is the contribution of Scope 3 emissions from construction materials in the overall carbon footprint of data centres?
Ans. It is substantial and it grows as Scope 2 emissions shrink. In many data centre footprints, Scope 3 emissions represent a large share of total emissions, often the majority, particularly when renewable electricity reduces operational carbon.
Within Scope 3, construction materials are a key component of the core and shell, sitting alongside major categories such as IT and MEP equipment. Industry assessments frequently show that upfront embodied carbon in data centres is MEP-heavy, with civil and structural elements still contributing meaningfully. Cement and concrete, in particular, remain obvious and high-impact targets for reduction.
3. Can you explain how GreenJams’ carbon-negative Agrocrete differs from conventional construction materials used in data centre infrastructure?
Ans. Conventional walling materials are typically cement- and clinker-intensive and carry high embodied emissions. Agrocrete is fundamentally different. It is a carbon-negative bio-concrete in which agricultural fibres are mineralised within an alkali-activated mineral matrix, permanently locking biogenic carbon into a stone-like structure.
Rather than being less carbon, Agrocrete is designed to be net carbon-storing based on verified embodied carbon data, while still meeting real-world construction performance requirements.
4. How does Agrocrete help data centre developers reduce embodied carbon without compromising on performance, durability, or scalability?
Ans. Agrocrete reduces embodied carbon by eliminating cement and permanently storing biogenic carbon through mineralisation, while being engineered for real-world performance and scalability.
Its carbon-negative claim is third-party verified through a robust Environmental Product Declaration. The material has been tested and evaluated by the CSIR–CBRI in Roorkee and has already been deployed across more than 20 commercial projects in India, with some installations now over five years old. This demonstrates proven durability for mission-critical infrastructure such as data centres.
From a scalability perspective, Agrocrete is manufactured like a modern masonry product through industrialised mixing and casting, enabling projects to adopt it without fundamentally altering established construction workflows.
5. Thermal management is a major challenge for data centres. How does GreenJams’ material innovation contribute to improved thermal efficiency and reduced cooling loads?
Ans. Data centres operate in a constant battle against heat, and envelope heat gain adds to the load that cooling systems must remove. Agrocrete wall systems offer approximately 3.5 times higher thermal insulation than conventional concrete blocks, resulting in lower heat ingress through the building envelope, more stable internal conditions, and reduced peak cooling demand, particularly in hot climates.
Even when internal IT loads dominate, every avoided watt of heat gain reduces the burden on HVAC systems, fans, pumps, and backup capacity, while also improving resilience during extreme heat events or partial cooling outages.
6. What kind of long-term operational energy savings can developers expect when sustainable materials are integrated at the design stage?
Ans. The honest answer is that it depends. Climate, envelope area, infiltration rates, temperature setpoints, and cooling architecture all influence outcomes, which is why we strongly advocate for energy modelling at the design stage.
In practice, when a high-performance envelope with better insulation and lower heat gain is combined with right-sized HVAC systems and strong controls, developers often see double-digit reductions in cooling energy under certain operating profiles. There are also meaningful benefits in peak demand reduction and equipment sizing.
The larger long-term advantage is that these savings compound over decades and are locked in by design rather than being dependent on perfect operational performance.
7. As global data centre capacity scales rapidly, how does GreenJams see its role in shaping resilient and future-ready digital infrastructure?
Ans. We see our role as enabling the next phase of data centre sustainability by moving beyond efficient operations toward low-carbon, verifiable, and resilient construction.
This includes:
- Providing LCA-backed embodied carbon data that can withstand audits and ESG scrutiny
- Offering cement-free and carbon-negative material pathways for building envelopes and structural elements where feasible
- Supporting the sector in staying ahead of tightening disclosure and trade requirements, including Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism aligned thinking for materials supply chains
- Leading the shift from conventional carbon-intensive materials to ultra-low-carbon construction materials at scale and without cost penalties
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that the infrastructure powering the digital economy is not only operationally efficient but also fundamentally low-carbon from day one.
