Minutes: 05 November 2026

Thursday, 05 November 2026

8th Meeting, 2026

Start time:09:15am

End time: 01:03pm

Location: Committee Room 1

Published: Thursday, 05 November 2026

Committee Members Attendees:

Minutes

1. Declaration of interests:

Donald MacKinnon was invited to declare any relevant interests. He declared an interest as a crofter and as the holder of crofting tenancies with shares in Arnol Common Grazings which is a recipient of agricultural support from the Scottish Government.

2. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – evidence:

The Committee took evidence from—

Craig Melson, Associate Director, techUK;

Andrew Weir, CEO, ScotlandIS;

and then from—

Alejandro Gallego Schmid, Reader in Circular Economy and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, The University of Manchester;

Wim Vanderbauwhede, Professor in Low Carbon and Sustainable Computing, University of Glasgow;

Thomas Morstyn, Associate Professor in Power Systems, University of Oxford.

3. The environmental impacts of hyperscale data centres inquiry – review of evidence (In Private):

The Committee reviewed the evidence heard under agenda item 2.