SHANGHAI, China, July  28, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited (&#34;GDS Holdings&#34;, &#34;GDS&#34; or the &#34;Company&#34;) (NASDAQ:GDS, HKEX: 9698)), a leading developer and operator of high-performance

GDS Releases 2025 Sustainability Report, Achieving MSCI AAA Rating

GDS Earns AAA MSCI ESG Rating as Sustainability Progress Intensifies

<section class="insight" data-version="1">
  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>SHANGHAI, China, July  28, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited (&amp;#34;GDS Holdings&amp;#34;, &amp;#34;GDS&amp;#34; or the &amp;#34;Company&amp;#34;) (NASDAQ:GDS, HKEX: 9698)), a leading developer and operator of high-performance</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>GDS released its 2025 Sustainability Report, showcasing a 60% renewable energy usage and a 23.1% drop in carbon intensity since 2023. It reports 45 data centers certified green, a 1.23 PUE, and the launch of biodiesel for backup power. The MSCI ESG upgrade to AAA and Moody&#039;s NZA-2 validation may attract ESG funds and support valuation.</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>GDS reports 2025 renewable energy usage at 60%.</li><li>Direct green power purchases up &gt;60% YoY; 75% of renewables.</li><li>PUE improved to 1.23 in 2025 from 1.24.</li><li>45 green-certified data centers; 90% meet green standards.</li><li>MSCI ESG rating upgraded to AAA; Moody&#039;s NZA-2 retained.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>GDS Holdings Limited (GDS)</strong>: Primary subject; ESG leadership could support investor demand and financing terms.</li><li><strong>MSCI Inc. (MSCI)</strong>: ESG rating provider; upgrade to AAA on GDS may affect ESG index flows.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Industry News</h3>
    <p>Industry News: highlights GDS&#039;s ESG progress and external rating upgrade, potentially impacting valuation through ESG fund flows.</p>
  </section>

  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>MSCI upgrade to AAA could trigger ESG index inflows.</li><li>60% renewable energy usage supports long-run cost efficiency.</li><li>45 data centers certified green bolster competitive differentiation.</li><li>Potential improvement in access to favorable financing terms from green credentials.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Renewable energy usage: 60% in 2025.</li><li>Direct green power purchases up &gt;60% YoY; 75% of renewables.</li><li>PUE improved to 1.23 in 2025 (1.24 in 2024).</li><li>45 data centers certified green; 90% meet green standards.</li><li>Carbon intensity down 23.1% versus 2023 baseline.</li></ul>
  </section>

  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>Near-term upside for GDS on ESG leadership and ratings, within 3–9 months.</p>
  </section>
</section>


<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p align="justify">SHANGHAI, China, July  28, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited ("GDS Holdings", "GDS" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GDS">GDS</a>, HKEX: 9698)), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, today released its 2025 Sustainability Report, demonstrating accelerated progress across its decarbonization roadmap and sustainability performance.</p>  <p align="justify">In 2025, GDS raised its renewable energy usage rate to 60%, with the volume of direct green power purchases up over 60% year-over-year and accounting for 75% of total renewable sources. The Company improved its average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) from 1.24 in 2024 to 1.23, and 90% of its self-developed data centers meet green building standards, with 45 data centers now certified green. These efforts contributed to a 23.1% reduction in carbon intensity compared to baseline year 2023. On the circular economy front, GDS launched China’s first pilot program that converts recycled waste cooking oil into biodiesel for backup power systems, cutting lifecycle carbon emissions by over 90% versus conventional diesel, and its Shanghai Pujiang Data Center Campus has earned China’s first Zero Waste to Landfill Management Performance Certification. Both are key pillars underpinning GDS’s path to net-zero emissions.</p>  <p align="justify">Notably, GDS achieved a landmark upgrade in its MSCI ESG rating from A to AAA, the highest tier possible, affirming its industry-leading sustainability performance. The Company also maintained a B rating in its CDP assessment, secured inclusion in the S&amp;P CSA Rating 2025 Yearbook, and retained its Moody’s NZA-2 (Net Zero Assessment) rating, which validates its performance in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Ambition, Implementation, and Governance, remaining the only data center company in the world to successfully pass this net-zero assessment.</p>  <p align="justify">"Our 2025 performance reflects both the depth of our commitment and the tangible outcomes of our efforts to integrate sustainability principles across our operations," said Mr. William Huang, Chairman and CEO of GDS. "From deploying renewable energy to implementing breakthrough circular practices and achieving top-tier ratings, we continue to build a green intelligent infrastructure platform that drives long-term value and industry advancement. We remain firmly committed to our 2030 carbon neutrality goal and are confident in the path we are charting."</p>  <p align="justify">To view the report in full, please visit the Sustainability section on the GDS corporate website or access the report at:<br></br><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=p9SJ1li8q0sEacKLzwQoX9OfxIFTDByd0THAZ2lX8J6RMHX9sCY4T1YieQBoQfulP3U7ksZTc02DiiDcFO9vEGNw6FIN--WlhuzD9ggivVwGNKnPDji-O5nKrb-6-qdmeuaWyWRPle-Vu2DgDMHEtHwjR93pIiNGtzoZiLCda9uE6pF2hQWr64B1ptWC5ptMDRfSVNjf2KRquC6U-torLQ==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://c.gds-services.com/esg2025/docs/2025_ESG_Report_EN.pdf</a></p>  <p align="justify"><strong>About GDS Holdings Limited</strong></p>  <p align="justify">GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GDS">GDS</a>, HKEX: 9698)) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China. The Company’s facilities are strategically located across the key hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. The Company’s data centers have large net floor area, high power capacity, density and efficiency, and multiple redundancies across all critical systems. The Company is carrier and cloud-neutral, which enables its customers to access the major telecommunications networks, as well as the largest PRC and global public clouds, which are hosted in many of its facilities. The Company has a 26-year track record of service delivery, successfully fulfilling the requirements of some of the largest and most demanding customers for outsourced data center services in China. The Company’s customer base consists predominantly of hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, and large domestic private sector and multinational corporations. The Company also holds a minority equity interest in DayOne Data Centers Limited, an independent Singapore-headquartered hyperscale data center platform.</p>  <p align="justify">For investor and media inquiries, please contact:</p>  <p align="justify">GDS Holdings Limited<br></br>Laura Chen<br></br>Phone: +86 (21) 2029-2203<br></br>Email: ir@gds-services.com</p>  <p align="justify">Piacente Financial Communications <br></br>Ross Warner<br></br>Phone: +86 (10) 6508-0677<br></br>Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com</p>  <p align="justify">Brandi Piacente<br></br>Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050<br></br>Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com</p>  <p align="justify">GDS Holdings Limited</p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTc5OTE2NyM3NzQ2MTAyIzIwODEzMzE="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/ZDMwMTVjOWYtMjZkZC00MmIxLWIxYzMtMzU0OWI0Y2VlY2E2LTEwOTI5MDItMjAyNi0wNy0yOC1lbg==/tiny/GDS-Holdings-Limited.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img>

GDS released its 2025 Sustainability Report, showcasing a 60% renewable energy usage and a 23.1% drop in carbon intensity since 2023. It reports 45 data centers certified green, a 1.23 PUE, and the launch of biodiesel for backup power. The MSCI ESG upgrade to AAA and Moody's NZA-2 validation may attract ESG funds and support valuation.

News insight

GDS Releases 2025 Sustainability Report, Achieving MSCI AAA Rating

AI summary

Sentiment rationale

Key facts

Industry News