Megan Baker, VP of Engagement | GBI
GBI’s Second Annual Better Buildings: Data Center Seminar, held in Chicago on May 15, focused on the critical theme of “People and Partnerships” in influencing the sustainability and resilience of data centers amid the rapid growth of AI. Drawing speakers from both public and private sectors, each session raised the importance of collaboration, innovation, and workforce development to meet the rising energy and operational demands of digital infrastructure.
Vicki Worden, GBI CEO welcomed attendees and emphasized the power of partnerships, with GBI accelerating sustainability in the built environment and the industry helping GBI to refine its standards, roadmaps, and certifications. Vicki shared the two-way feedback from those using GBI tools – such as Aligned, Compass, CyrusOne, PowerHouse, and Vantage, to name a few, and the development of GBI’s Data Center Campus Certification to increase efficiency and improve sustainability for multiple buildings on a single site. GBI recognizes that we need informed leaders who are willing to advocate within their communities about the mission critical nature of the data center industry and to do everything we can to support data-related improvements in our global society.
Angela Tovar, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Chicago, shared a strong vision for the city’s path to net-zero emissions by 2050. She emphasized that partnerships with data centers are essential for innovation, policy development, and community integration, positioning them as vital assets in urban sustainability planning. This future-oriented vision was echoed by Phill Lawson-Shanks of Aligned Data Centers, who highlighted the imminent arrival of the “Fifth Industrial Revolution”, where people will work alongside AI and robotics. He emphasized the urgent need to balance this technological leap with environmental responsibility, ensuring that the infrastructure supporting AI remains energy-efficient and sustainable.
A panel on ESG in Data Centers, led by iMasons and iMasons Climate Accord, explored measuring success through frameworks like VALUES, and addressed the need for inclusive workforce development. With over 100,000 open jobs in the industry, the panelists stressed the importance of skills-based hiring, particularly for women, and the translation of soft skills into technical environments. In a compelling case study, Bill Kleyman and Ken Moreano shared the “HerdSense” project, an AI-powered cattle health monitoring system. Their approach demonstrated how data center design can integrate innovative cooling systems, vertical scaling, and edge computing to enhance performance and sustainability simultaneously.
CyrusOne’s Dan Moore and GBI’s Board Chair, Alison Hoagland discussed as a model for sustainable operations and future data center planning, reinforcing the value of Green Globes assessment and certification to improve building performance. Similarly, Noah Wilson-Rich introduced the idea of green roofs and beekeeping at data centers to increase biodiversity, promote environmental education, and strengthen ties with local communities.
The PowerHouse Reno case study emphasized the importance of early engagement with stakeholders, including vendors and supply chain partners, and data collection to ensure alignment on sustainability goals. Leviton’s session expanded this notion, urging the industry to rethink its supply chain strategies considering AI growth, advocating for creativity, flexibility, and accountability with partnerships.
In a broad panel on future-ready growth, representatives from Vantage, Compass, AVAIO Capital, Crane, and EcoData Centers stressed the importance of building not just with tools, but with heart and community in mind. They underscored the role of certification programs like Green Globes and highlighted partnerships as key to navigating the challenges of AI-era expansion. A session on energy reliability featured a cross-sector panel, including Buddy Rizer from Loudoun Virginia Economic Development, advocated for deep collaboration between utilities, developers, and communities to scale up clean energy solutions like solar, nuclear, and hydrogen.
The seminar closed with Nomad Futurist Co-Founder Phillip Koblence, who shared the Foundation’s mission to empower the next generation to become pioneers in the digital infrastructure industry and ways to get involved.
The key takeaway was clear: to meet the growing demands of AI, the digital infrastructure sector must align people, data, and partnerships into a unified, strategic effort.