Additionality is the principle that an emissions reduction or clean-energy purchase only counts if it would not have happened without the buyer's intervention. It is central to judging the quality of carbon credits and renewable-energy procurement: buying certificates from existing plants adds no new clean capacity, whereas funding new projects does. Data-center operators pursuing credible climate claims increasingly demand additional renewable procurement.
Category: Sustainability & Metrics · Subcategory: Energy & Carbon · Part of the AIDC Technical Terminology reference.