Google has been ordered to stop construction at two data center sites after it cleared forest without carrying out the environmental impact assessments required by law, according to The Guardian. The order covers two separate construction sites and marks a rare direct intervention against the company's expanding data center footprint.
The case lands as tech companies race to build the infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence, and as local opposition to data centers grows in several countries. Forest clearing for server capacity puts Google's climate commitments directly against its AI expansion plans.
Google data centers and missing environmental assessments
According to The Guardian, the order was issued after Google failed to carry out environmental impact assessments before clearing forest at the two sites. Such assessments are normally a legal precondition for major construction work, designed to measure damage to local ecosystems before building begins.
The report does not specify the location of the two sites, the size of the area cleared, or the exact authority that issued the order. The Guardian's account focuses on the regulatory failure rather than on any fine or timeline for resuming work.
Google has not publicly detailed how it will respond to the order, and no completion date for either data center has been confirmed.
Why data center construction is under scrutiny
Data centers consume large amounts of electricity and water, and their construction often requires land clearing, which puts them at the center of environmental disputes. The order against Google fits a wider pattern of pushback against new server campuses in Europe and North America.
The timing is sensitive for Google, which like its rivals is under pressure to expand computing capacity for AI services while maintaining its stated sustainability goals. Any confirmed violation of environmental rules weakens that positioning.
