Scotland’s countryside charity
We are Action to Protect Rural Scotland, more often known as APRS. We campaign to protect, enhance and promote Scotland’s countryside and rural landscapes for everyone’s benefit, and we support others to do the same.
About APRSAPRS Campaigns
Hyperscale data centres
Our campaign for a moratorium on hyperscale AI data centres in Scotland
Having a say in your local area
We support communities to protect their special places, especially Green Belts around our towns and cities that provide space for people and nature
National Parks
We want more National Parks – the very best of our landscapes, providing livelihoods and opportunities to visit.
We are calling on the Scottish Government to stop all hyperscale AI data centres until Environmental Impact Assessments are made compulsory for hyperscale data centres, and until they have done a robust assessment of the impacts on communities, the grid and climate emissions.
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News Highlights
Today APRS have written to Hannah Mary Goodlad MSP, Minister for Public Finance welcoming her announcements yesterday and asking for her to go further to bring in EIAs for all hyperscale data centres and a pause on applications for hyperscale data centres to allow for time to put in place the guidance and policies needed.
We have had a response back from a Freedom of Information Request that we sent to the UK Government regarding the Jobs estimates for the AI Growth Zone in Lanarkshire. Here is an analysis of this and the implications for the AI Growth zone.
The greenhouse gas emissions of hyperscale AI data centres have not been included in the Scottish Government’s analysis of the impact of ‘green data centres’ on Scotland’s climate targets, according to analysis by environmental charity APRS.
Today we are publishing a report on employment and jobs reviewing publicly available figures globally for data centre employment including audited reports related to government funding schemes and other data from independent sources.
The North Lanarkshire AI Growth zone plan to power their 500MW hyperscale data centre with renewable energy – however the plans they have for energy infrastructure would need an area of 100km2 and, even then, it would only deliver half the energy the hyperscale data centre would require.
Data Centres Map
Find out about all the hyperscale data centres that are in the planning system (that we know of…)
go to the mapScotland loves National Parks
After the axing of Galloway National Park, read this analysis of the anatomy of the anti-campaign.
Environmental Campaigning in the age of misinformation
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Every donation is greatly appreciated by APRS, so thank you for choosing our charity and helping us to continue our work.
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