James Magor coverage in Environmental Finance: Look to Asia for data center investment opportunity, says Actis
In an interview with Environmental Finance, James Magor, Principal, Sustainability at Actis, highlighted why the region’s shortage of storage and processing capacity offers opportunities for investors, particularly compared with more mature markets in the US and Europe, emphasising his view that integrating sustainability considerations early in the development cycle helps identify initiatives with a return on investment, strengthening both potential financial and sustainability outcomes. Click here to read the full article or read on below for a snapshot of James’ commentary.
James Magor, Principal, Sustainability at Actis, commented:
“In Asia specifically, there’s still a huge shortage of data storage and computer processing capacity, which makes it very attractive from an investor perspective.
“We’re seeing a lot of sustainability-focused investors investing in this sector, because of the correlation between sustainability of the asset and financial performance. Data centres with a lower PUE have a lower operating cost. This is passed through to customers, making that data centre more attractive. By making that data centre more appealing to the customers, you drive up competition for that space, and that leads to higher rent.
“By integrating sustainability considerations at the earliest stage of your data centre development, you are more likely to identify sustainability initiatives with a positive ROI […] This means you get a more attractive sustainable investment opportunity when you consider sustainability at an earlier stage.”
Disclaimer
The statements made by James Magor herein regarding the Asian data center market are as of 24 September 2025 and represent the views of Actis or the source cited which is not research and should not be treated as research. Historic market trends are not reliable indicators of actual future market behaviour or future performance of any particular investment which may differ materially and should not be relied upon as such. Moreover, there is no assurance historical trends will continue. Any forward-looking statements, forecasts, estimates, projections or results herein are based upon current assumptions, may be simplified and may depend upon events outside of the control of the Actis group and Actis does not undertake any obligation to update them. Changes to any assumptions may have a material impact on forward-looking statements, forecasts, estimates, projections or results. We therefore wish to caution you against placing undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, forecasts, projections or results contained herein. There can be no assurance that Actis will be successful in implementing its investment strategies. There can be no assurance that the investments would be profitable or avoid substantial losses.