Investigation: UK met 137 AI datacentre firms but no environmental groups
techOct 27, 20262226
An investigation by the Guardian found ministers, permanent secretaries and directors general met 137 businesses to shape UK datacentre policy while meeting no environmental organisations and only two community groups. Spotlight on Corruption used 40 freedom of information requests to 18 government agencies covering July 2024 to June 2026 to compile the meetings record and said a "considerable revolving door" saw 38 ministers, senior civil servants and special advisers move into AI companies between July 2024 and September 2026. Nine of those who left government were from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which helped design the AI growth zones policy that promised to "turbocharge the economy" by building very large datacentres across five regions. The Guardian’s reporting says the policy relies on un-audited financial figures and exaggerated job projections and that government departments disagree on how much electricity the datacentre plans will require. Campaign lead Kamila Kingstone said the government "totally failed at the most senior level to speak to environmental NGOs or community groups" despite the policy’s environmental implications. Local opposition has grown at proposed sites from Auchtertool north of Edinburgh to Brick Lane in east London, and the investigation highlights officials taking senior industry roles as a key concern in oversight and accountability of the policy.
