Environment
Our Environmental Challenge
To enable the sustainable growth of the digital economy, we must develop and implement
innovative solutions for global and local environmental challenges. We are the leading stewards of
digital infrastructure, setting high standards for our industry across all aspects of our footprint,
including climate impact, water usage, circularity, land utilization, and biodiversity.
Our Environmental Commitments
Equinix is implementing a bold environmental agenda through a range of commitments:
Addressing the Urgency of Climate Change Through Our Targets
- Achieving our near-term science-based targets (SBTs): reducing Scopes 1 and 2 absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% from a 2019 baseline by 2030, reducing fuel- and energy-related Scope 3 emissions by 50% from a 2019 baseline by 2030, and engaging 66% of suppliers by Qualified Emissions in Scope 3 Categories 1 and 21 to set their own near-term SBTs by 2025
- Becoming climate neutral2 across our global operations, through the reduction of Scopes 1 and 2 emissions, by 2030
- Supporting the goals set out in the European Green Deal through our alignment with the EU Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact
- Allocating funds to deliver sustainable outcomes across our business and leveraging Green Finance to propel our efforts toward greening our footprint
Designing the Sustainable Data Center of the Future and Investing in Innovation
- Designing, building and operating sustainable data centers planned holistically to optimize our consumption of all resources
- Achieving LEED certification or an equivalent green building standard for all new construction since 2021
- Leveraging technology and innovation to encourage commercialization of solutions that will enable the Data Center of the Future for Equinix, our stakeholders and our industry
- Building and maintaining environmentally sustainable office settings for our employees and customers, with ongoing efforts toward health-informed design
Scaling Renewable Energy Purchasing
- Reaching our goal of 100% clean and renewable energy across our global portfolio by 2030
Assessing and Mitigating Climate Risk
- Investing in adaptation and mitigation strategies for key climate risks
Advocating for Change and Inspiring Others
- Partnering with like-minded organizations to advance environmental policy and accelerate action and innovation on key priorities such as renewable energy and embodied carbon
1 Categories 1 and 2 represent emissions from Purchased Goods and Services and Capital Goods.
2 We define climate neutrality as achieving a 100% reduction in operational emissions.
Environmental Highlights
24% reduction in operational emissions
Scope 1 & 2 emissions reduced from 2019 baseline
96% renewable energy
Sixth year in a row with 90%+ global renewable energy coverage
4,000 MWh of Heat Export
Putting recovered heat back to use in our communities
A CDP climate
change
rating
Achieved highest ranking score for the second consecutive year
Over 1 GW
of PPAs
Entered into long-term contracts with 225 MW of operational today and 838 MW to be developed between 2024 and 2029
25%
of Qualified3
Scope 3 emissions
Covered by supplier-set science-based targets
$78M
invested in
energy efficiency
Enhancing operational excellence and energy demand reduction in 2023
1.42
average annual PUE
8.8% Power Usage Effectiveness improvement from 2022
1.07 average annual WUE4
First year reporting on Water Usage Effectiveness
3 Includes Category 1 and 2 Scope 3 emissions
4 Average annual WUE for our entire global data center portfolio. The WUE calculation includes all of our data centers regardless of cooling system type employed at the facility
Key Environmental Metrics
Environmental Data
| Metric | Units | 2019 (Baseline) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity consumption | GWh | 5,700 | 7,140 | 7,750 | 8,170 |
| Renewable energy | GWh | 5,250 | 6,770 | 7,430 | 7,850 |
| % Renewable energy | % | 92% | 95% | 96% | 96% |
| PUE (annual average) | Quotient | 1.54 | 1.48 | 1.46 | 1.42 |
| Energy intensity | GWh / million USD revenue | 1.028 | 1.084 | 1.077 | 1.007 |
| GHG emissions: Scope 1 | mtCO2e | 40,700 | 50,700 | 40,300 | 29,000 |
| GHG emissions: Scope 2 (location-based) |
mtCO2e | 2,079,000 | 2,307,600 | 2,405,200 | 2,610,200 |
| GHG emissions: Scope 2 (market-based) |
mtCO2e | 306,000 | 254,800 | 228,200 | 234,100 |
| GHG emissions: Scope 3 | mtCO2e | 1,311,000 | 1,504,000 | 1,292,000 | 1,249,000 |
| Carbon intensity (location-based) |
mtCO2e / million USD revenue | 381 | 355 | 337 | 322 |
| Carbon intensity (market-based) |
mtCO2e / million USD revenue | 62 | 46 | 37 | 32 |
| WUE (annual average; all sites) |
Quotient | – | – | – | 1.07 |
| WUE (annual average; water-cooled sites only) |
Quotient | – | – | – | 1.63 |
Energy and emissions are assured to ISO 14064-3:2019 standards for the quantification and reporting of GHG emissions.
Water-cooled sites refer to data centers with evaporative cooling systems.
Accounting and Assurance
Equinix references the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to calculate our GHG emissions footprint. Our energy and renewable energy consumption along with Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions are independently assured to ISO 14064-3:2019 standards for the quantification and reporting of GHG emissions.
For more information about our energy and emissions performance and response to climate change, refer to our annual CDP Climate Change submissions. Due to the importance of water stewardship to the data center industry and our efforts to address the topic, we began disclosing to CDP Water Security in 2023.
To review Equinix’s annual CDP Climate Change and Water Security disclosures, click below.
Climate Commitments and GHG Emissions
Equinix intends to achieve it’s near term science-based targets and reach climate neutrality by 2030.
Clean and Renewable Energy
Equinix has a long-term goal towards 100% clean and renewable energy.
Innovative Building Design
Equinix designs and builds sustainable data centers to meet or exceed LEED standards and pilots new sustainable technologies.
Operational Sustainability
Equinix is reducing the environmental footprint of our operations.
Risk Management
Equinix’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Business Continuity Program (BCP) teams identify, prioritize and evaluate climate-related risks and consequences, and identify what response will effectively minimize the impacts.
