Google’s huge new Essex datacentre to emit 570,000 tonnes of CO2 a year
A new Google datacentre in Essex is expected to emit more than half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year , equivalent to about 500 short-haul flights a week, planning documents show.Spread across 52 hectares (128 acres), the Thurrock “hyperscale datacentre” will be part of a wave of mammoth computer and AI power houses if it secures planning consent.The plans were submitted by a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and the carbon impact emerged before a concerted push by Donald Trump’s White House and Downing Street to ramp up AI capacity in Britain.Multibillion-dollar investment deals with some of Silicon Valley’s biggest tech companies are expected to be announced during the US president’s state visit to the UK, which starts on Tuesday.Keir Starmer’s government has forecast a 13-fold rise in the amount of computer processing power AI will use by 2035 and is scrambling to supply the datacentres to meet that demand in the hope the technology will boost Britain’s insipid economic productivity.
Deals involving Nvidia, the world’s largest AI chip maker, and OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT AI assistant, are anticipated.But campaigners have said a wave of massive new computer warehouses will crank up Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions and put pressure on finite power and water resources.If allowed, the Thurrock complex will include up to four datacentres on “grey belt” land part-occupied by a former speedway and stock car track.It “will lead to a net increase in GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions of 568,727 tonnes CO₂е [carbon dioxide equivalent] per year during the operational phase”, planning documents examined by the Guardian show.That amounts to about 500 flights from Heathrow to Málaga every week, according to the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization’s carbon calculator.
Google’s planning application stresses this remains a “minor adverse and not significant impact when compared to the UK carbon budgets”, but campaigners disagree,“Google’s planned facility in Essex will produce carbon emissions several times higher than those of an international airport,” said a spokesperson for Foxglove, a campaign group for fairer technology,“But this is just one of many ‘hyperscale’ datacentres that US big tech wants to impose on the UK – in pursuit of their own profits and regardless of the cost to our environment,“Starmer’s government needs to stop bowing to the Trump-big tech agenda and start standing up for the interests of the UK public – otherwise we will all be paying for the tech giants’ datacentres, whether in terms of soaring energy bills, dwindling water supplies or a heating planet,”Datacentres now consume about 2.
5% of the UK’s electricity, and demand on the grid is expected to increase fourfold by 2030, according to the House of Commons library.Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionThe British government does not believe datacentres will have a significant impact on the UK’s carbon budget because of its ambitious targets for electricity grid decarbonisation.Rather it is worried that without massive investment in new datacentres, the UK will fall behind international rivals, including France, resulting in a “compute gap” that “risks undermining national security, economic growth, and the UK’s ambition to lead in AI”, according to a July research paper from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.Other important datacentre projects include a £10bn scheme on the site of a former coal-fired power station near Blyth in Northumberland that was granted planning permission in March.It is poised to be at the heart of a UK-US deal involving Nvidia and OpenAI.
It was also reported at the weekend that Google is in early-stage talks about building a mammoth datacentre on Teesside.Bain & Company, a global business consultancy, said on Monday that AI and datacentres could account for 2% of global emissions and 17% of industrial emissions by 2035, with the impact highest in countries where fossil fuels still dominate power generation.Google declined to comment on its planning application for the Thurrock site.On Teesside, it said: “We do not comment on rumours or speculation.”
Hackers steal private data of Gucci, Balenciaga and McQueen customers
Hackers have stolen data from customers of the luxury fashion group Kering, whose brands include Gucci, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen.Cyber-attackers have stolen data of potentially millions of customers, including the names, phone numbers and email addresses of customers of the fashion group, it has emerged.Paris-based Kering said the breach happened in June and that no financial information – such as bank account numbers, credit card information, or government-issued identification numbers – was taken.The attackers have been identified as a ransom-seeking group, Shiny Hunters.Kering said on Monday: “In June 2025, we identified that an unauthorised third party gained temporary access to our systems and accessed limited customer data from some of our [fashion] houses
Argos was a bad buy – but Sainsbury’s doesn’t need to sell at a silly price | Nils Pratley
The thinking behind Sainsbury’s £1bn-plus purchase of Argos back in 2016 wasn’t entirely other-worldly. The big idea was that, by putting Argos general merchandise shops within Sainsbury’s supermarkets, both chains would benefit via a customer crossover effect. But the problem was also screamingly obvious: why volunteer to step in front of Amazon’s non-food steamroller?Simon Roberts became chief executive of Sainsbury’s in 2020, replacing Mike Coupe, the architect of the Argos deal, and immediately indicated where he stood. His “food first” strategy wasn’t quite a declaration that he viewed Argos as inessential to the day job of competing with Tesco et al, but it wasn’t far off.Thus nobody was surprised by Sainsbury’s confirmation on Saturday that it was considering an approach for Argos from JD
What did Elon Musk say at far-right UK rally and did his remarks break the law?
Downing Street has condemned Elon Musk for using “dangerous and inflammatory” language at the nationalist protest organised by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson on Saturday. But will – or should – the X owner face any consequences?While he called for a “dissolution of parliament” and a “change of government”, the comments that attracted particular scrutiny were when he told the crowd: “This is a message to the reasonable centre, the people who ordinarily wouldn’t get involved in politics, who just want to live their lives. They don’t want that, they’re quiet, they just go about their business.“My message is to them: if this continues, that violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice. You’re in a fundamental situation here
US and China reach deal to transfer TikTok ownership, trade officials say
Jamieson Greer, a US trade representative, said on Monday that Washington and Beijing have struck a framework agreement on transferring TikTok to US-controlled ownership.Speaking after emerging from negotiations with Chinese officials, Scott Bessent said the deal was coming but declined to reveal the commercial terms.“We have a framework for a TikTok deal,” the treasury secretary told reporters after coming out of high-level talks in Madrid. “We’re not going to talk about the commercial terms of the deal. It’s between two private parties, but the commercial terms have been agreed upon
Berthoumieu banned for biting Wafer in blow to France before England clash
The France flanker Axelle Berthoumieu has been banned for biting the Ireland back-row Aoife Wafer in their Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final and will miss the semi-final against England on Saturday.France will also be without their captain, Manaé Feleu, as she has been banned for a high tackle during the game against Ireland. Both players are appealing against the sanctions.The pair were cited on Sunday evening and faced disciplinary panels on Monday. Berthoumieu was handed a 12-match ban which was reduced from 18, while Feleu was given a three-match ban which could be reduced to two if she completes the coaching intervention programme
England’s attacking philosophy shifts again with arrival of Lee Blackett
To say England have been through a few attack coaches in recent times is an understatement. The latest cab off the rank, Lee Blackett, is the 11th individual to take on the role in nine years but it may just be that the national team have found the ideal catalyst to enhance their chances at the next men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.Blackett, 42, auditioned successfully for the job on this summer’s tour of Argentina and the US, where England scored 13 tries in three Tests, and has emerged as the big winner in Steve Borthwick’s latest cabinet reshuffle with Richard Wigglesworth switching to defence and Joe El-Abd helping out with the forwards.Fresh from helping to steer Bath to Premiership and Challenge Cup titles last season, Blackett has been recruited to add further zest to England’s attacking game, starting with their opening autumn series international against Australia on 1 November. With about 20 Tests between now and the next World Cup, England will be keen for him to hit the ground running
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