Submitted text
The volume of data stored worldwide doubles every 18 months. This year is the first time that more data has been generated in the last 12 months than has existed worldwide since the beginning of humanity. This is driving the construction of data centers worldwide and also in Switzerland. In addition to cheap storage space, one driver of the constantly doubling amount of data is the high level of redundancy, i.e. the fact that data is stored multiple times. This raises important questions in terms of data management and the associated consumption of resources and energy.
The Federal Council is requested to answer the following questions:
1. is there, in the view of the Federal Council need for regulatory action in terms of data storage and energy consumption in Switzerland? If yes, which one? If not, why?
2. what potential does the Federal Council see in the possibility of regularly Clean up data?
3. what options does the Federal Council see to counteract the rapid Increase in data volume and thus to steer the expansion of further data centers in Switzerland in a sustainable direction?
Opinion of the Federal Council of 15.11.2023
1. and 2. digital technologies and digitalization create added value in all sectors of the economy, including the energy sector. While this added value is difficult to quantify, the energy consumption of the digital infrastructure (information and communication technologies, ICT) required for the generation, transmission and storage of data is well documented and regulated.
The federal government has taken various measures in the area of energy consumption in data centers. Some of these are binding. For example Minimum efficiency requirements for the placing on the market of servers and data storage devices as well as power transformers, air conditioning units and ventilation systems. Other measures are voluntary: these include informing and raising awareness among data center operators, promoting the efficiency label of the Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association (SDEA) or the support provided by the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) in drawing up a standard for data centers. The cantons also play an important role, as they set the requirements for the energy efficiency of buildings.
Despite the rapid increase in the amount of data processed, stored or transmitted, the energy consumption of the entire ICT sector (data centers, telecommunications networks and ICT devices) has fallen in recent years. increased only slightly. Studies show that the global energy consumption of the entire ICT sector grew by 10% between 2010 and 2020, while the capacity utilization of data centers and data traffic via telecommunications networks increased by 800% and 1200% respectively. This is due to technological progress and efficiency gains in the ICT sector. For this reason, it is not necessary to issue regulations on data storage.
Measures in the area of data backup would be disproportionate, as the energy-saving potential is manageable and would not justify the necessary interventions. The Federal Council does not wish to intervene in this area, as this would not better fulfill the interpellant’s concern (energy savings).
3. the Federal Council does not currently see any options for slowing down the growth in data volumes, and also no reason to regulate this area at the present time. Instead, the federal government will continue to strive to tighten the sustainability requirements for all ICT devices and infrastructures.