🇫🇷 French, 6 October 2026, environmental impact
Finland Asks Google to Suspend Data Center Construction
A Finnish government agency has ordered Google to halt construction of new data centers in two municipalities by October 2026.
The agency is investigating Google’s partner, Tuike Finland, for allegedly clearing over 300 hectares of forest in Muhos without conducting an environmental impact assessment.
Google has acknowledged that it failed to meet its own environmental standards in this case and will study the agency’s conclusions and follow its recommendations.
The move comes amid a public debate in Finland over the environmental impact and energy consumption of data centers, with a citizen’s petition calling for stricter regulations gathering over 84,000 signatures.