July 2022

The Commission is publishing a report done by their independent consultant on the macro-economic potential of the digital transformation of the European economy. The paper looks into the challenges that the EU faces, including the COVID-19 implications, and the ways to address them to achieve the aims set out in the strategy on Shaping Europe’s Digital Future.

The study seeks to better understand and put forward measures towards achieving the Digital Strategy goal of “climate neutral and highly energy efficient data centres and electronic communication networks and services by 2030”

The current digital transformation is characterized by a steep increase in the amount of data being generated, processed, stored, and transmitted. This has consequences on our energy consumption. In 2018, data centres accounted for 2.7% of the EU’s energy consumption. If left unchecked, this could rise to 3.2% by 2030.