Singapore has made its position clear: new data centre capacity will be granted, but only to facilities that are among the most efficient and lowest-carbon in the world. On 21 August 2026, the Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced that four operators, Digital Realty, Equinix, Keppel Data Centres and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, would each receive 50MW under the second Data Centre Call for Application (DC-CFA2). The new facilities will sit in a low-carbon data centre park that JTC is developing on Jurong Island.<\/p>\n
Most coverage focuses on power, cooling and green energy, and rightly so. But green data centres also raise the bar for everyone involved in the fit-out, from architects and interior designers to contractors and material suppliers. This article looks at what Singapore’s approach means for the parts of a data centre that are not servers.<\/p>\n
The short version:<\/strong> Singapore allocates data centre capacity competitively and on sustainability merit. Energy performance dominates, but the same logic flows into the building fabric: lower embodied carbon, low-emission finishes, durable materials and verifiable certification<\/strong>. Fit-out teams that bring documented products to the table early make it easier for operators to meet their green commitments.<\/p>\n After a pause on new data centres in 2019, Singapore moved to a selective model. Capacity is released in rounds, and operators compete on the quality of their proposals rather than simply queueing for power. DC-CFA2 opened on 1 December 2025 and closed on 31 March 2026. Applicants were asked to propose best-in-class energy and IT efficiency, and to power at least half of their capacity from green energy sources such as biomethane, low-carbon ammonia or hydrogen, fuel cells with carbon capture, or on-site solar. The selected proposals have also been reported to commit to Green Mark for Data Centres at Platinum level.<\/p>\n This sits within IMDA’s Green Data Centre Roadmap, which aims to grow capacity while pushing operators towards lower power usage effectiveness (PUE) over time. EDB and IMDA have said they will review the need for a further call in 18 to 24 months. For the industry, the signal is that every future round is likely to set the bar higher still.<\/p>\n Energy use during operation is by far the largest part of a data centre’s carbon footprint. But three pressures bring the rest of the building into scope:<\/p>\n A data centre campus includes offices, control rooms, meeting spaces, welfare areas, corridors and visitor facilities. Our guide to data centre control room and support space flooring<\/a> covers these in detail. In these spaces, material choices affect sustainability outcomes in four ways.<\/p>\n Flooring, wallcoverings and ceilings cover large areas, so their embodied carbon adds up. Ask for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)<\/strong>, which give verified life-cycle figures instead of conservative defaults. Recycled-content carpet tiles and modular products that can be replaced piece by piece both lower the carbon cost over the building’s life.<\/p>\n Control rooms and offices are staffed around the clock. Low-VOC finishes and adhesives protect indoor air for the people who run the facility. Look for labels such as CRI Green Label Plus for carpet, FloorScore for resilient floors and GREENGUARD for wall and furniture finishes. Our indoor air quality guide<\/a> explains what each covers.<\/p>\n A data centre runs for decades, and a finish replaced three times over that life carries three times the embodied carbon. Durable, repairable materials such as modular carpet tiles, commercial-grade vinyl wallcoverings and impact-resistant wall protection in corridors reduce both waste and disruption to a live facility.<\/p>\n The Singapore Green Building Product (SGBP)<\/strong> scheme rates products in tiers from one to four ticks, giving specifiers a locally recognised benchmark. Goodrich’s Axminster wool carpet with SB latex unitary backing carries the four-tick “Leader” rating, and the J.Josephson Vycon wallcoverings it distributes hold a two-tick “Very Good” rating. Our SGBC certification ladder guide<\/a> explains how the tiers map to project credits.<\/p>\n Inside technical rooms, performance comes first. Static control, cleanliness and load capacity are non-negotiable. Sustainability still has a role: anti-static vinyl tiles<\/strong> that are modular, easy to maintain and replaceable tile by tile avoid wholesale floor replacement when equipment layouts change. Goodrich supplies the Sangetsu OT anti-static vinyl tile range for these spaces. See our server room and data centre flooring guide<\/a> for how to specify them.<\/p>\nHow Singapore Allocates Data Centre Capacity<\/h2>\n
Why Green Criteria Reach Beyond the Data Hall<\/h2>\n
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Where Fit-Out Choices Make a Difference<\/h2>\n
1. Embodied carbon<\/h3>\n
2. Indoor air quality<\/h3>\n
3. Durability and replacement cycles<\/h3>\n
4. Verified local certification<\/h3>\n
Technical Rooms: Green and Functional<\/h2>\n
A Checklist for Fit-Out Teams<\/h2>\n
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