Creating long-term value for people and communities
By Alastair McMahon, ESG Director, Apto
In the first two articles in this series, we explored Apto’s approach to environmental responsibility and climate: how decisions made early in the development process can reduce environmental impact, support decarbonisation and build greater resilience over the lifetime of an asset.
The third element of that approach is social responsibility.
Data centres are significant infrastructure investments with implications that extend beyond the boundaries of a site. They create employment and supply-chain opportunities, interact with local infrastructure and services, and become long-term members of the communities in which they operate.
For developers, this creates a responsibility to understand both the potential benefits and potential impacts of a project from the outset, and to consider how social factors are reflected in project planning and decision making.
At Apto, that means considering social issues alongside environmental and climate factors throughout the development process, from stakeholder engagement and worker welfare to local employment, skills development and community considerations.
Understanding the local context
Just as environmental risks vary from one location to another, so too do social priorities.
There is no single template for social sustainability. The issues that matter most to stakeholders will vary between projects depending on local circumstances, existing infrastructure, employment conditions, community concerns and the nature of the proposed development.
Understanding that context starts with engagement.
Historically, engagement has often been viewed through the lens of statutory consultation and environmental assessment. While this process remains essential, industry good practice increasingly recognises that meaningful engagement means more than meeting regulatory requirements. It requires an understanding of who may be affected by a project, identifying their interests and concerns, and considering how those perspectives can inform project planning and decision-making.
At Apto, stakeholder engagement is integrated into our Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS). This includes identifying stakeholders, assessing potential impacts, considering vulnerable or disadvantaged groups where relevant, and developing engagement approaches that are proportionate to the scale and complexity of a project.
The objective is not simply to consult because the planning process requires it. It is to better understand how a project interacts with its surrounding communities, workers, businesses, public authorities and other stakeholders, and to ensure that material issues are identified and considered early in the development process
The priorities identified through that process will vary between projects. They may relate to employment and skills development, transport and infrastructure, community health and safety, environmental enhancement, construction impacts or other locally significant issues.
The principle remains simple: understand the context first, then determine what actions are appropriate for the project and the people it may affect.
From investment to local value
Data centre developments are often discussed in terms of economic impact, and understandably so. Major developments can support significant employment, procurement and supply chain activity during both construction and operation.
However, industry thinking around social sustainability has evolved beyond economic metrics alone.
Leading infrastructure and sustainable finance frameworks increasingly encourage developers to consider how projects interact with local communities over the long term. Employment and procurement remain important, but they sit alongside other considerations such as skills development, infrastructure improvements, environmental enhancement, community health and safety, and the management of project-related impacts.
For Apto, this means considering opportunities across:
- Local employment and procurement
- Training and skills development
- Collaboration with educational institutions
- Improvements to transport, utilities and community infrastructure
- Environmental enhancement and restoration activities
- Community health, safety and wellbeing
Some of these opportunities may arise directly from project investment. Others may emerge through stakeholder engagement and a better understanding of local priorities.
For example, investment in environmental restoration or improvements to local water environments may contribute to biodiversity objectives while also creating benefits that are valued by local communities. Similarly, infrastructure improvements developed to support a project may provide wider benefits beyond the site itself.
The objective is not to apply the same approach to every development, but to understand local circumstances and identify where a project can respond to stakeholder priorities in a way that is proportionate, relevant and achievable.
Community benefit in practice
What that looks like on the ground will depend on the location, the nature of the project and the priorities identified through stakeholder engagement.
In Milan, an Apto project under development, a range of planned measures relating to green infrastructure, transport connections, and environmental restoration are included. Current plans for the project include significant tree planting, improvements to cycle connectivity and upgrades to local transport infrastructure. The project team is also exploring opportunities with the local municipality relating to community infrastructure and amenities. Ecological measures include restoration of local water features, grassland and forest improvement initiatives and the use of permeable paving in public areas.
Improvements to local green spaces may support biodiversity objectives whilst also enhancing places used and valued by communities. Transport improvements can help address project requirements while improving accessibility and safety for local residents.
These are some of the reasons Apto takes an integrated environmental, climate and social approach. In practice the most effective actions are those that deliver multiple outcomes rather than treating environmental and social considerations as separate issues.
Responsibility throughout the supply chain
Many of the people involved in delivering a data centre will never work directly for the developer.
Construction workers, specialist contractors, equipment suppliers, manufacturers and service providers often operate several tiers removed from the project owner, yet their actions can have a significant influence on social outcomes.
This is why social sustainability increasingly extends beyond a company’s own workforce and places greater emphasis on supply chain due diligence, labour standards, worker welfare and human rights.
At Apto, these expectations are reflected through our ESMS, supplier due diligence, procurement processes and Supplier Code of Conduct. These frameworks are designed to support alignment with applicable legal requirements, investor expectations and internationally recognised principles relating to labour and working conditions, human rights, worker welfare and responsible business conduct, including those reflected in European sustainability frameworks and investor requirements.
Potential suppliers and contractors undergo a pre-qualification process that considers factors such as health and safety performance, employment practices, legal compliance, ESG management and organisational capability. However, effective oversight does not end once a contractor is appointed.
Monitoring, performance management and corrective action are equally important in identifying and addressing issues that may arise during project delivery. This includes areas such as worker welfare, labour practices, health and safety performance, grievance management and compliance with contractual requirements.
For Apto, managing social sustainability means creating consistent expectations across contractors, suppliers and business partners, recognising that responsible project delivery depends not only on our own actions, but also on the practices of the wider supply chain
Building skills for a growing sector
The growth of digital infrastructure is creating demand for a broad range of skills, from engineering, design and construction through to operations, sustainability and project management.
As data centres become larger and more complex, the sector increasingly depends on people with the expertise needed to develop, construct and operate infrastructure safely, efficiently and responsibly.
Apto launched its Graduate Programme in 2024 to help develop the next generation of data centre professionals. The two-year programme combines structured development, mentoring and hands-on project experience across the business.
Investment in people extends beyond graduate recruitment. Training and development programmes support the continued growth of technical capabilities, workplace standards, equality and inclusion, and environmental, climate and social (ECS) competencies across the wider organisation.
Developing these skills is not only important for individual organisations. It is an important part of building the capability needed to support the responsible growth of the wider digital infrastructure sector
A structured approach to social responsibility
As with climate and environmental performance, good intentions need to be supported by systems.
Apto’s ESMS provides a consistent framework for addressing environmental, climate and social considerations throughout the project lifecycle. Relevant risks, impacts, obligations and commitments are identified, assessed, managed and monitored through this framework. In this way, they are integrated into investment decisions, project delivery and ongoing management, rather than treated as a standalone sustainability initiative.
For social sustainability, this includes:
- Stakeholder identification, engagement and consultation
- Assessment of potential impacts on communities, workers and other stakeholders
- Labour, human rights and worker welfare controls
- Supply-chain due diligence and oversight
- Grievance and feedback mechanisms
- Monitoring, reporting and corrective action processes
- Ongoing review and continual improvement
The ESMS draws on applicable legal requirements, customer requirements, investor commitments and recognised good practice standards.
The purpose is to provide a structured process for identifying social risks, engaging stakeholders, managing commitments and monitoring performance. It also helps demonstrate to investors, customers and other stakeholders that social commitments are being implemented, monitored and supported by evidence.
Transparency is also an important part of that process. Investors, customers and other stakeholders increasingly expect evidence that commitments are being implemented, performance is being monitored and issues are being addressed. Monitoring, reporting and assurance activities help provide that visibility and support continual improvement over time.
Conclusion
Data centres are built for the digital economy, but they do not operate in isolation.
They rely on workers, suppliers, customers and communities, and their impacts extend far beyond the site boundary. Recognising and managing those impacts is a core part of responsible development.
For Apto, social responsibility is not defined by a single initiative or community project. It is reflected in how we engage with stakeholders, manage our supply chain, support workforce development and make decisions throughout the lifecycle of a project.
As expectations continue to evolve, so too must the way our industry approaches social sustainability. The objective is not simply to build infrastructure, but to do so in a way that is transparent, accountable and informed by the people affected by it.
This concludes our three-part series exploring Apto’s approach to environmental, climate and social responsibility.
Across all three areas, the underlying principle is the same: decisions made early matter. Understanding risks, engaging stakeholders and integrating environmental, climate and social considerations from the outset provides a stronger foundation for responsible long-term development.
