6.8 KiB
IGF 2026 WS #288 Advancing sustainable data center infrastructures in BRICS
Description
The workshop proposes a multistakeholder dialogue focused on advancing sustainable data center governance across the BRICS countries through cooperation, shared experiences, and the exchange of best practices. The dialogue aims to explore common challenges related to the expansion of data centers infrastructures in the Global South, including those related to measuring their scale, distribution, and resource use, as well as the role of evidence, indicators, and other governance instruments in identifying and addressing socio-environmental impacts. The BRICS countries are increasingly becoming hosts to data center infrastructure, leveraging their natural and technical resources in the emerging data economy. This growth presents increasingly complex challenges related to natural resources consumption, environmental impacts, and the well-being of local communities, especially in the context of climate change, and in line with the SDGs. Understanding the impacts of these infrastructures requires cooperation across countries to strengthen policy frameworks and governance approaches that can balance digital infrastructure development with environmental sustainability. Sharing good practices can support mutual learning and help countries address common governance challenges while adapting solutions to their different contexts and development needs. Sharing experiences and evidence can contribute to more informed and coordinated approaches to sustainable data center governance. The session will be structured around three complementary stages. First, participants will examine the challenges related to expansion of data center infrastructure across the BRICS and the Global South, drawing on experiences from different national contexts to explore pathways toward more sustainable governance. Second, participants will consider how evidence and impact assessment instruments can support a better understanding of these infrastructures, informing policy-making. Finally, participants will discuss how sustainable data center governance can become part of the broader digital cooperation agenda among the BRICS countries, identifying opportunities to strengthen mutual learning, policy dialogue, and common approaches while respecting different national contexts and development priorities.
Policy Question(s)
A. What are the main governance and sustainability challenges associated with the expansion of data center infrastructure in the BRICS and the Global South, and how can multistakeholder dialogue contribute to a better understanding of these challenges? B. Which evidences, metrics, and impact assessment methodologies should are essential for measuring the technical, environmental, social, and territorial dimensions of data center infrastructure to support evidence-based policymaking? C. How can BRICS countries promote cooperation, mutual learning, and common approaches to sustainable data center governance while respecting different national contexts and development priorities?
Expected Outcomes
The session is expected to generate meaningful insights on how BRICS countries and other emerging economies can strengthen the governance of data centers while advancing sustainable development, climate objectives, and digital sovereignty. It should contribute to a shared understanding of common governance challenges and identify opportunities for multistakeholder cooperation, and the exchange of methodologies, evidence, and policy experiences. It is also expected to identify areas where greater convergence on data collection practices, assessment frameworks, and governance approaches could strengthen international cooperation while respecting different national contexts and development priorities. The outcomes of the session may inform future IGF and BRICS-related dialogues, contributing to a broader agenda for the sustainable governance of digital infrastructure.
Reference Document
Reference Document
Format
Roundtable Duration (minutes): 90 Format description: The roundtable format, combined with a 90-minute duration, is well suited to the session’s multistakeholder and international approach. The format will foster an open and interactive dialogue among the BRICS countries and stakeholder groups, enabling the exchange of perspectives, experiences, and lessons learned. The 90-minute format will allow the session to move beyond individual presentations and dedicate substantial time to an interactive discussion on common challenges, indicators, and approaches to sustainable data center governance. The roundtable setup also helps reduce the traditional distinction between speakers and audience, encouraging equitable participation from both onsite and online participants. With support from both on-site and online moderators, this interactive format will facilitate the integration of diverse perspectives and experiences, helping to identify common challenges, areas for cooperation, and potential recommendations to inform future policy discussions and international processes.
Hybrid Format
Hybrid Format: The session will feature a virtual moderator who will monitor the remote participation tools provided by the IGF organizers and will be responsible for bringing up the virtual comments and questions relevant to the discussion. Accordingly, following the presentations of the invited speakers, the session will include a dedicated timeslot for participation and input from both the in-person and online audiences.
Organizers
Organizer 1: Hartmut Richard Glaser, CGI.br Organizer 2: Alexandre Barbosa, 🔒 Organizer 3: Rodolfo Avelino, Insper Organizer 4: Mariana Soares, NIC.br Organizer 5: Jean Carlos Ferreira dos Santos, 🔒
Speakers
Speaker 1: Jeff Xiong, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group Speaker 2: Graziela Castello, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) Speaker 3: Eugenio Garcia, Government, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) Speaker 4: Kola Ijasan , Civil Society, African Group Speaker 5: Miguel Pinto Maria, Private Sector, African Group Speaker 6: Rodolfo Avelino, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Moderator
Rodolfo Avelino, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Online Moderator
Mariana Soares, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Rapporteur
Jean Carlos Ferreira dos Santos, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Participant Benefits
What will participants gain from attending this session?
SDGs
- Clean Water and Sanitation
- Affordable and Clean Energy
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Climate Action