GDS Releases 2025 Sustainability Report, Achieving MSCI AAA Rating
Rhea-AI Summary
GDS (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698) released its 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting progress on its decarbonization roadmap. In 2025, GDS lifted its renewable energy usage rate to 60%, with direct green power purchases up over 60% year-over-year and representing 75% of total renewable sources. Average PUE improved from 1.24 to 1.23, while 90% of self-developed data centers now meet green building standards and 45 are certified green. These initiatives contributed to a 23.1% reduction in carbon intensity versus 2023. GDS also launched a pilot to convert recycled waste cooking oil into biodiesel for backup power, cutting lifecycle carbon emissions by over 90%, and its Shanghai Pujiang Campus obtained China’s first Zero Waste to Landfill certification. The company’s MSCI ESG rating was upgraded from A to AAA, and it maintained a CDP B rating, inclusion in the S&P CSA Rating 2025 Yearbook, and a Moody’s NZA-2 net-zero assessment rating.
Positive
- Renewable energy usage rate reached 60% in 2025
- Direct green power purchases up over 60% year-over-year and 75% of renewables
- Carbon intensity reduced 23.1% versus 2023 baseline
- MSCI ESG rating upgraded from A to AAA
- 45 data centers certified green; 90% meet green building standards
- Biodiesel pilot cuts lifecycle emissions by over 90% versus conventional diesel
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | Annual meeting results | Positive | -6.2% | All resolutions passed, including director elections and equity plan extension. |
| Jun 02 | Annual meeting notice | Neutral | +3.9% | Company announced the June 25 annual general meeting and shareholder voting eligibility. |
| May 20 | Director leadership change | Negative | -9.3% | Independent director resigned and a replacement became audit committee chair. |
| May 20 | First-quarter earnings | Positive | -9.3% | Revenue, net income and adjusted EBITDA increased, while guidance was reaffirmed. |
| May 06 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | +2.2% | Company scheduled its first-quarter results release and investor conference call. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent positive corporate announcements were followed by negative reactions, while scheduling notices had positive reactions.
Key Terms
power usage effectiveness technical
carbon intensity technical
biodiesel technical
zero waste to landfill technical
net zero assessment technical
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SHANGHAI, China, July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited (“GDS Holdings”, “GDS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, today released its 2025 Sustainability Report, demonstrating accelerated progress across its decarbonization roadmap and sustainability performance.
In 2025, GDS raised its renewable energy usage rate to
Notably, GDS achieved a landmark upgrade in its MSCI ESG rating from A to AAA, the highest tier possible, affirming its industry-leading sustainability performance. The Company also maintained a B rating in its CDP assessment, secured inclusion in the S&P CSA Rating 2025 Yearbook, and retained its Moody’s NZA-2 (Net Zero Assessment) rating, which validates its performance in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Ambition, Implementation, and Governance, remaining the only data center company in the world to successfully pass this net-zero assessment.
“Our 2025 performance reflects both the depth of our commitment and the tangible outcomes of our efforts to integrate sustainability principles across our operations,” said Mr. William Huang, Chairman and CEO of GDS. “From deploying renewable energy to implementing breakthrough circular practices and achieving top-tier ratings, we continue to build a green intelligent infrastructure platform that drives long-term value and industry advancement. We remain firmly committed to our 2030 carbon neutrality goal and are confident in the path we are charting.”
To view the report in full, please visit the Sustainability section on the GDS corporate website or access the report at:
https://c.gds-services.com/esg2025/docs/2025_ESG_Report_EN.pdf
About GDS Holdings Limited
GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China. The Company’s facilities are strategically located across the key hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. The Company’s data centers have large net floor area, high power capacity, density and efficiency, and multiple redundancies across all critical systems. The Company is carrier and cloud-neutral, which enables its customers to access the major telecommunications networks, as well as the largest PRC and global public clouds, which are hosted in many of its facilities. The Company has a 26-year track record of service delivery, successfully fulfilling the requirements of some of the largest and most demanding customers for outsourced data center services in China. The Company’s customer base consists predominantly of hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, and large domestic private sector and multinational corporations. The Company also holds a minority equity interest in DayOne Data Centers Limited, an independent Singapore-headquartered hyperscale data center platform.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
GDS Holdings Limited
Laura Chen
Phone: +86 (21) 2029-2203
Email: ir@gds-services.com
Piacente Financial Communications
Ross Warner
Phone: +86 (10) 6508-0677
Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com
Brandi Piacente
Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050
Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com
GDS Holdings Limited
