Kao Data sustainability score: 28/100
Kao Data provides space and infrastructure for customers' servers in data centres built for AI and advanced computing, with fit-out and connectivity services alongside. Its revenue comes from recurring revenue, power and ancillary services.
More about Kao Data
Kao Data Limited, the group's holding company, was incorporated in 2019, and its accounts state it has no ultimate controlling party. The group had 41 employees on average and £63.8M revenue in its year to March 2025.
Founded 2019Head office Harlow, United KingdomStaff ~41 (average, year to 31 March 2025)Revenue ~£63.8M (year to 31 March 2025)Website ↗
Kao Data reported 28,085 tCO2e for the year to March 2025, up from 22,837 t, partly through a Scope 3 boundary change, with electricity counted location-based. It publishes no figure for capital goods, and purchased goods only for water, so the size deduction for an incomplete footprint (0.70x) applies. All grid electricity is matched by REGO certificates that come through its Shell Energy supply contract; Kao's own wording is 'fully offset'. No PPA or on-site generation is delivering yet. Its net zero goals are self-set, with no SBTi target found. Residents and Ealing Friends of the Earth protested at Park Royal in July 2026; no finding was reported.
Kao Data scores 28/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Companies can never pay for anything about their own score. Last verified November 2026.
That places Kao Data joint 771st of 994 companies scored, and joint 36th of 39 in Construction / Real Estate.
What is Kao Data doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Controversies & Red Flags (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Targets & Commitments (0/10, 3/10).
Where Kao Data lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain4/10Most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions aren't measured.
- Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
- How clean its energy is4/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets3/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports5/10No dedicated sustainability role, board oversight or public report.
- Its record on controversies7/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Kao Data's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Kao Data's score based on?
14 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
21% of them were published by Kao Data itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Scope 2, year to 31 March 2025: market-based 0 t, location-based 8,646 t. Its filed total uses location-based. Kao describes itself as fully offset; SINK gives no credit for offsets.
11 of 14 sources are independent of the company.
“GHG Scope 14 628 61”
“contained in this report has also been assured”
“While we’re still using the REGO certificated system”
“electricity backed by asset-specific renewable certificates”
“Kao Data will procure the electricity via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)”
“exceeds the lower critical level of 75 µg/m3”
“Residents living near a planned data centre in Park Royal have protested”
“The Frogmore site is earmarked for a new data centre by Kao Data”
“they unanimously passed the application”
“Harlow Operations Limited”
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How does Kao Data compare with other construction / real estate companies?
Where Kao Data sits among construction / real estate peers.
Among the 39 major construction / real estate brands we've scored, Kao Data is tied =36th of 39, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Construction / Real Estate?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Kao Data.
Highlands Rewilding restores land on Scottish estates and has registered credits under the Woodland and Peatland Codes, but it publishes no emissions figures.
See the breakdown →Holcim reports comprehensive emissions data and leads in construction waste recycling, but relies overwhelmingly on intensity targets that mask stagnant absolute emissions and hide reliance on unproven CCUS technology.
See the breakdown →Bouygues reports detailed Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions with SBTi-validated targets across all six business segments, but undermines credibility through intensity-based Scope 3 targets on buildings instead of absolute reductions.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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