UK Met 137 Businesses but No Environmental Groups on AI Datacentre Policy

Oct 27, 2026
An investigation found UK officials met 137 businesses but no environmental groups while developing AI datacentre policy.

Ministers and senior officials who developed the UK's AI datacentre policy met 137 businesses but no environmental groups, according to an investigation by the nonprofit Spotlight on Corruption, The Guardian reported. Senior officials met only two community groups over the same period.

The group filed 40 freedom of information requests to 18 government agencies covering July 2024 to June 2026, when the government was shaping its "AI growth zones" policy. It also found that 38 ministers, senior civil servants and special advisers were hired into AI companies between July 2024 and September 2026, nine of them from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

"The government totally failed at the most senior level to speak to environmental NGOs or community groups when developing its flagship policy on AI datacentres," said Kamila Kingstone, a campaign lead at Spotlight on Corruption.

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