ENVIRONMENT
Equinix considers green bonds a valuable tool to raise capital and finance large projects that have a positive environmental impact. We launched our inaugural green bond in 2020 and have since invested in multiple areas of innovation including, green buildings, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Equinix remains one of the top ten largest green bond issuers globally with $4.9 billion in green bonds to date.
Principles and Reporting
Equinix’s Eligible Green Projects follow our Green Finance Framework, based on the Green Bond Principles 2018 and the Green Loan Principles 2020. An amount equal to the net proceeds from our Green Financing is applied to fund or refinance Eligible Green Projects that provide clear benefit to climate change mitigation and adaptation, natural resource and biodiversity conservation, or pollution prevention and control. The environmental benefits of our Green Finance Framework and alignment with the Green Bond Principles is supported by a Second-Party Opinion issued in 2020 by Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG research, ratings and data.
Equinix publishes our Green Bond Allocation and Impact Reports annually to provide transparency on progress. Reports from previous years can be viewed below:
“Issuing our inaugural green bonds demonstrates Equinix’s continued long-term commitment to green our data center footprint, delivering wide-reaching environmental benefits for not only ourselves and our communities but also our global customers.”
– Keith Taylor, Chief Financial Officer, Equinix
Green Bond Progress
With $3.7B green bond net proceeds allocated to date, Equinix achieved a total annual avoided emissions of over 600,000 mtCO2e, or equivalent to approximately 132,000 vehicles removed from the roads each year. These investments in green building design, energy efficiency and renewable energy have resulted in an annual energy savings of approximately 1,600 GWh. As we increase our use of green bonds, we are accelerating our positive environmental impact and demonstrating significant emissions reduction potential.
Equinix green bonds are as follows:
$1.35
Billion
September 2020
inaugural green bond
100% Allocated
€1.10
Billion
February 2021
second green bond
100% Allocated
$1.00
Billion
May 2021
third green bond
100% Allocated
$1.20
Billion
April 2022
fourth green bond
3.7% Allocated
LEED Certification in Aschheim, Germany
Equinix financed our new International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center in Germany through our green bonds, designing it for optimal efficiency. The data center includes technologies for hybrid cooling and an Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system for efficient storage and recovery of thermal energy. The building also has a green façade and partially planted roof to enhance biodiversity while acting as additional natural insulation and cooling. Equinix is also exploring options to share the site’s waste heat with external consumers.
Design, Innovate and Build for the Environment
Equinix designs, builds and operates sustainable data centers and engages in green financing opportunities.