Interview with Susanna Kass

John Bensalhia talks to Data Centre Advisor, UN SDG-EP, Susanna Kass, who will be talking about the Race to Net Zero at this year's Data Centre World.

 

This year's Data Centre World line-up includes Data Centre Advisor, UN SDG-EP, Susanna Kass. Susanna will be presenting a talk on the Race to Net Zero and the next generation of data centres making climate positive impacts throughout its life cycle.

Computer scientist Susanna originally started as a software programmer and data analyst. She now has over 30 years of experience in Data Center operations, clean energy investment, development and has led over 3.8 gigawatts of clean energy projects across 17 countries 24/7, as well as managing over 7,000 staff members in her organisation. Among her past executive roles are GM at HP, Head of Innovation at NextEra Energy and COO, eBay International.

As Data Centre Advisor on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Susanna engages private sector leadership, academic researchers, and public institutions to jointly promote sustainable energy within the international Data Center sector and global verticals industry. Susanna's focus is to provide scientific based evidence for America to revamp Carbon Neutral infrastructure and to support the new enactment to the Paris Agreement.

As well as this role, Susanna is one of the co-inventors to lead the Clean Energy Standard for the European Union to promote carbon free data centre projects for the EU with the Clean Hydrogen Group Consortium; Equinix, InfraPrime, RISE, Snap, SolidPower, TECH4Fuels, and Vertiv.  In addition, Susanna is the Chief Sustainability Officer of InfraPrime (which she co-founded), a Switzerland start-up that concentrates on providing simultaneous resilient and sustainability infrastructure offerings.

With regards to the benefits and challenges of sustainable energy in the international data centre sector, Susanna comments: “Social benefits to our people, planet and a scale continue growth and profits in $200Billion run rate cloud computing business: over 7 million data centrer sites as we build more. The clean energy transition to meet net zero goals in carbon, emission, waste, and water provides social benefits to communities to harmonise and balance resources in a circular economy through their data centre life cycle.”

“The challenges include the climate change, and geo political uncertainty. A market risk is an investment risk. A close mind to do status quo of a linear economy versus taking action to transition to clean energy and sustainable innovation in a circular data centre economy remains a challenge..”

Talking about the future of sustainable energy and data centres, Susanna says that it is important to “promote and live the promise of the Paris Agreement accord across all nation states.”

“Today's and future generations are living the UN SDG lifestyle; gender equality, education for all across developing and developed countries in harmony to keep 1.5 degree Celsius.”