Whitepaper
Financing the Future: Building Asia Pacific’s Sustainable Digital Backbone
Data centre capacity across the region is set to double by 2028. Yet a supply gap of 15GW is already emerging2. Meeting this escalating need will require hundreds of billions in capital and fast.
Adding to the challenge is that Asia’s data centres are not scaling in isolation: rather, the region competes globally for capital and within the wider infrastructure asset class and in particular fibre, transport and energy.
With debt investors adopting a global approach in their data centre capital allocation ensuring APAC remains attractive from a “relative value” investment standpoint is key to attracting a sufficient level of capital to support this build out.
To attract global capital, the region must align with global expectations: strong credit, pricing discipline, and sustainability – not only in emissions, but in its impact on land, water, and communities.
A stark challenge confronts Asia’s data centre industry: scale digital infrastructure and embed sustainability at the core. Without decisive action, the region risks locking in high-emission systems and losing out to more investor-friendly markets.
This paper explores the convergence of three forces: surging digital demand, the urgency of sustainability, and shifting investor priorities. Success lies in aligning all three. It’s about what gets built, and how it’s financed, governed, and measured.
