Hundreds gather outside Holyrood to call for pause on Scotland’s datacentre boom
Summary
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to call for a pause on building large datacentres in Scotland. Protesters want the government to study the environmental effects and set clear rules for “green” datacentres before allowing more construction.Key Facts
- The protest was led by Kat Jones, director of the group Action to Protect Rural Scotland.
- At least 20 datacentre projects are proposed across Scotland, including one in Fife said to be the second largest in the world.
- Some datacentres are planned near small villages, care homes, and homes, raising local concerns.
- Scottish First Minister John Swinney promised a strategic approach focused on environmental sustainability but did not agree to stop building immediately.
- Datacentres use a lot of energy and space; one planned project covers eight hectares of open land in the Lammermuir hills.
- The UK government has encouraged datacentre growth in Scotland as part of its AI development strategy.
- Local people worry datacentres threaten their communities and environment.
- Scottish Greens and Reform UK support the call for a pause and more careful planning.
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