Petition · Department for Business and Trade
Independent environmental impact assessment for data centres & make AI opt-in
Open for signatures
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Require independent environmental impact assessments before any data centres are approved end the designation of data centres as "critical national infrastructure". We also call for AI to be opt-in, not built into everyday online services by default, so the public is not forced to fuel this boom.
In our view data centres for AI use vast amounts of water, yet communities get little say. In Morgan County, Georgia (USA), residents beside a major data centre report discoloured, undrinkable water and many now rely on shipped-in supplies, prompting calls for a federal investigation. Now, in North Devon, an 850-acre data campus, is proposed on protected farmland in a region currently facing hosepipe bans. In our view, the public never chose this boom but will pay for it in water, land and higher bills.
Timeline
| 6 Aug 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Business and Trade
Opened
6 Aug 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 7 Aug 2026.