GRI Index & Results

Top ESG Results

At Equinix, materiality matters. We are targeting improvements in material ESG areas that our business impacts and driving standardization in reporting and transparency.


CDP Participation:	Equinix has responded to the CDP Climate Change survey since 2015. We make our response publicly available on our website.
GHG Emissions:	Scope 1 = 46,700 mtCO2e Scope 2 (market-based) = 224,000 mtCO2e Scope 2 (location-based) = 1,916,400 mtCO2e Scope 3 = 135,000 mtCO2e
GHG Reduction:	44% Reduction Year-Over-Year based on Scope 1 + Scope 2 (market-based) global totals. 2018 = 270,700 mtCO2e; 2017 = 481,700 mtCO2e.
Carbon Intensity:	53 mtCO2e/million USD based on Scope 1 + Scope 2 (market-based) per unit revenue (million USD). This represents a change of -52% year-over-year from 110 mtCO2e/million USD in 2017
Energy Use:	5,235 GWh across Scope 1 + 2. This represents a change of 14% year-over-year from 4,610 GWh in 2017.
Energy Intensity:	1.021 GWh electricity/million USD. This represents a change of -1% year-over-year from 1.040 GWh/million USD in 2017.
Renewable Energy:	92% renewable energy coverage globally. This comes from 4,725 GWh of renewable energy purchased out of 5,154 GWh of electricity consumed.
Assurance:	ISO 14064-3: 2019 Limited Assurance of Equinix’s energy consumption, Scope 1, 2, & 3 emissions


Gender Breakdown:	22% of Equinix FTEs in 2018 were women (1,681), 77% were men (5,805), 0.5% declined to ID (37)
Region Breakdown:	45% Americas (3,387), 21% Asia-Pacific (1,580), 34% EMEA (2,556)
Diversity:	Equinix has monitored diversity since 2015
Employee Satisfaction:	Equinix’s Engagement Index, which measures the commitment and satisfaction levels of employees, was 85% in 2018, well above the industry average of 73%. The survey is administered twice annually, the average participation rate in 2018 was 89%
Turnover Rate:	12% Global; 11% Males, 14% Females, 19% Industry average
Lost Day Rate (U.S. and Canada):	0.05%
Nondiscrimination:	Equinix’s Code of Business Conduct prohibits discrimination and is reinforced throughout employee handbooks
Training:	Equinix averaged $800 in training costs per headcount


Anti-Bribery and Corruption:	ABC training is mandatory for all employees globally. 100% completion has been achieved for the past 5 years
Whistleblower Policy:	Available publicly here
Public Policy Activities:	Disclosed publicly here
Data Privacy & Security:	Equinix’s Global Data Privacy Office helps us meet the requirements of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

A core component of Equinix’s sustainability strategy is engagement. We maintain multi-dimensional communication channels with our network of customers, employees, investors, and service providers, as well as other groups, such as advocacy organizations and industry groups. The table below summarizes some of the principal ways we engage with these key stakeholder groups.

Disclosure Number	Disclosure Title	2018 Response
GRI 102: Organizational Profile
102-1	Name of the organization	Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX)
102-2	Activities, brands, products, and services	Equinix provides a variety of International Business Exchange (IBX) colocation data centers, as well as interconnection solutions and managed IT infrastructure services. Additional details are available in our 2018 Form 10-K.
102-3	Location of headquarters	One Lagoon Drive, Redwood City, California 94065, USA
102-4	Location of operations	As of the end of 2018, Equinix operated 200 IBX data centers in 52 strategic markets in 24 countries across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”). As of December 2018, Equinix operated: 19 metros in the Americas (USA, Canada, Colombia and Brazil) 24 metros across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) (Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and UAE) and; 11 metros in Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia)
102-5	Ownership and legal form	Equinix is a Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) and is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market.
102-6	Markets served	In 2018, Equinix operated in 52 strategic markets across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and EMEA with more than 9,800 customers, including a diversified mix of cloud and IT service providers, content providers, enterprises, financial companies, and network and mobile service providers.
102-7	Scale of the organization	2018 Form 10-K, Item 1 and Item 6
102-8	Information on employees and other workers	Total headcount: Equinix had 7,523 regular employees as of December 31, 2018. This is a 14% headcount growth since 2017. The 7,523 headcount excludes employees integrated from the Verizon data centers and Zenium acquisitions. Total number of employees/workers by type, by gender: Regular employees: 5,805 male employees; 1,681 female employees; and 37 employees declined to ID Fixed-term employees: 233 male employees; 84 female employees; and 6 employees declined to ID Contract workers: 319 male workers; 117 female workers; and 2,346 workers gender not tracked Total number of employees by employment contract, by region: Americas: 3,387 regular employees and 52 fixed term employees Asia-Pacific: 1,580 regular employees and 72 fixed term employees EMEA: 2,556 regular employees and 199 fixed term employees Total number of regular employees by employment type, by gender: Full-time employees: 5,760 male employees; 1,625 female employees; and 37 employees declined to ID Part-time employees: 45 male employees and 56 female employees
102-9	Supply chain	Equinix designs, builds, and operates multi-tenant retail interconnection data centers globally. Our supply chain consists of the materials and utilities contracts needed to provide the space, power and cooling that we offer our customers. The space consists of the materials used to build our data centers and the contractors we hire during the construction phases. The power and cooling infrastructure consist of equipment inside the sites that bring power to our customers’ electronic equipment reliably (including backup generators and UPS units) and maintain the necessary temperatures, airflow and humidity needed to keep our customers’ equipment running effectively and reliably (HVAC equipment). Our power supply chain is heavily monitored and managed for both price and environmental concerns. We also use a variety of suppliers who help us maintain some aspects of data center operations and reliability, such as physical security measures and security personnel, janitors, waste management companies, etc. And we use a variety of consultants and vendors to help us improve our business strategy and processes.We are committed to ensuring that our suppliers maintain high standards of ethics and environmental compliance. Since 2015, we have instituted a Business Partner Code of Conduct that is part of our Global Suppler Information Form. It has been included in all contracts signed with our suppliers since June 2015.
102-10	Significant changes to the organization and its supply chain	In April 2018, Equinix purchased the 1.6 million-square foot Infomart Building in Dallas, including its operations and tenants, where we had already been operating four Equinix data centers. In the same month, we closed our acquisition of Australian data center provider Metronode and its 10 data centers. The Metronode acquisition sites were excluded from the 2018 operational reporting boundary but will be added to 2019 reporting.
102-11	Precautionary Principle or approach	Equinix does not specifically apply the precautionary principle; however, Equinix meets or exceeds all applicable local, regional, and federal laws and regulations. We take steps to ensure that we operate with the highest levels of integrity and reliability, and we develop our programs to meet or exceed industry best practices across all areas: environmental, social and governance. Globally, we employ a risk-based approach to our policies and practices and seek to implement best practices around the world, including increased transparency around the impact of our operations and the policies we have in place.
102-12	External initiatives	Equinix participates in the following initiatives, in no particular order: CDP, SASB, TCFD, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S), RobecoSam Corporate Sustainability Assessment, Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), EcoVadis, Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA), EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres, Green Datacentre Research Programme, Information Technology Industry Council (and the former The Green Grid), ISO 50001 Energy Management System, ISO 14001 Environmental Management System, NAREIT Real Estate Sustainability Council (RESC) and ESG Forum, Paradigm for Parity, RE100, techUK, Singapore BCA-IMDA Green Mark, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Data Center Rating program, U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership, U.S. Green Building Council (LEED). Please note this list is not exhaustive.
102-13	Membership of associations	Equinix sits on the boards of the following organizations: European Data Centre Association, Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2C), Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), and Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) and is an active member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)
GRI 102: Strategy
102-14	Statement from senior decision-maker	CEO Letter
102-15	Key impacts, risks, and opportunities	2018 Form 10-K, Item 1A
GRI 102: Ethics and Integrity
102-16	Values, principles, standards, and norms of behavior	Equinix’s Code of Business Conduct can be found on Equinix’s Investor Relations Guidelines & Policies page
GRI 102: Governance
102-17	Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics	Equinix’s Code of Business Conduct can be found on Equinix’s Investor Relations Guidelines & Policies page. And Equinix’s Whistleblower Protection Policy protects corporate “whistleblowers”; ensuring that concerns around ethics and corruption can be taken seriously and acted upon by the Company.
102-18 102-19 102-20 102-21 102-30 102-31 102-32	Governance structure Delegating authority Executive-level responsibility for economic, environmental, and social topics Consulting stakeholders on economic, environmental, and social topics Effectiveness of risk management processes Review of economic, environmental, and social topics Highest governance body’s role in sustainability reporting	At Equinix, we are all working together to build an organization that is defined by its honesty, integrity and consistently ethical behavior. Our commitment to the highest standards of business and professional conduct differentiates our business as much as our technology. The sound corporate governance practices we have adopted enhance our accountability and transparency and promote our ethical pursuit of our shareholders’ best interests. Responsibilities of our Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Equinix, Inc. include overseeing Equinix’s accounting practices, system of internal controls, audit processes and financial reporting processes. Responsibilities of our Governance Committee of the Board of Directors of Equinix, Inc. include (i) overseeing the evaluation of the Board; (ii) reviewing and considering developments in corporate governance practices and recommending to the full Board a set of effective corporate governance policies and procedures applicable to Equinix; and (iii) reviewing and considering developments related to Equinix’s Governance, Risk and Compliance program (the “GRC Program”) and reporting out to the full Board on GRC Program activities and recommendations. The Governance Committee has oversight of Equinix’s sustainability and ESG efforts including engaging on risks and opportunities. Equinix’s Chairman of the Board champions sustainability. Responsibilities of our Corporate Sustainability Steering Committee and Working Team include: (i) setting corporate sustainability strategy and policy, (ii) monitoring and tracking Equinix’s progress, and (iii) transparently communicating our efforts externally to enhance our reputation and lead our industry. Our program contains three program tracks (or pillars), each led by at least one member of the executive team (these members comprise the Executive Steering Committee which includes our CEO, CFO, CHRO/CLO, and EVP, Global Operations) who are responsible for delegating ESG topics to other senior executives and employees. Day-to-day the program is led by a global program manager and executed by a Working Team that consists of ~25 global and regional leads. The Working Team meets every other week, the Steering Committee meets 2-4x annually, and the program manager with support of the Working Team reports to the CEO and Board of Directors annually. Consultation with stakeholders is led by the working team and Equinix’s materiality assessment (last updated in December 2018) engaged a variety of stakeholders who provided their feedback on Equinix’s ESG programs and goals. Equinix’s corporate governance structure can be found on Equinix’s Investor Relations website under Corporate Governance. Additional details are available in our Annual Proxy Statement
102-22	Composition of the highest governance body and its committees	2019 Proxy Statement
102-23	Chair of the highest governance body	2019 Proxy Statement
102-24	Nominating and selecting the highest governance body	2019 Proxy Statement
GRI 102: Stakeholder Engagement
102-40	List of stakeholder groups	For more details, please refer to our Stakeholder Engagement Table
102-41	Collective bargaining agreements	In the Americas, only Brazil has collective bargaining. 100% of the workforce in Brazil is covered by collective bargaining with the union. Brazil FTEs account for 8% of the global workforce in 2018. In Asia-Pacific, Equinix employees are not covered by collective bargaining or labor unions. However, in Japan, for any change in benefit or employment terms, Equinix has an employee consultation process. In EMEA, we have formal works councils for France, a sub-section of our German operations and our IBX operations in the Netherlands. In addition, there is a voluntary staff consultation forum for the UK and the French, Italian and Finish businesses are covered by applicable collective industry agreements. In line with our values and an approach of consultation and social partnership, Equinix supports dialogue and consultation on changes affecting our employees even where there is no obligation to do so.
102-42	Identifying and selecting stakeholders	Equinix identifies key stakeholders based on their influence on the company’s decisions, responsibility to the company, knowledge of external stakeholder concerns and those who rely on and are affected by our services. We also identify stakeholders as those in the communities near our data centers and organizations we interact with regularly. This process is described in more detail in the Stakeholder Engagement section.
102-43	Approach to stakeholder engagement	This process is described in more detail in the Stakeholder Engagement section
102-44	Key topics and concerns raised	This process is described in more detail in the Stakeholder Engagement and Materiality sections
GRI 102: Reporting Practice
102-45	Entities included in consolidated financial statements	All entities listed in our 2018 Annual Report and 2018 Form 10-K
102-46	Defining report content and topic Boundaries	For more details, please refer to our Report Profile discussion
102-47	List of material topics	For more details, please refer to our Materiality Assessment discussion
102-48	Restatements of information	None
102-49	Changes in reporting	In April 2018, Equinix purchased the 1.6 million-square foot Infomart Building in Dallas,Tx including its operations and tenants, where we had already been operating four Equinix data centers. In the same month, we closed our acquisition of Australian data center provider Metronome and its 10 data centers. The Metronode acquisition sites were excluded from the 2018 operational reporting boundary but will be added to 2019 reporting.
102-50	Reporting period	2018 calendar year
102-51	Date of most recent report	Released August 28, 2018 covering 2017 data
102-52	Reporting cycle	Annually
102-53	Contact point for questions regarding the report	Jennifer Ruch Global Utilities and Sustainability Sr. Manager, Global Design & Construction Sustainability@equinix.com 1.800.322.9280
102-54	Claims of reporting in accordance with the GRI Standards	This report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core option.
102-55	GRI content index	Included in this section
102-56	External assurance	This report does not have external assurance; however, Equinix’s 2015-2018 Scope 1, Scope 2, and most of Scope 3 emissions have been externally verified to Limited Assurance Standards ISO 14064-3.
GRI Standards – Topic-specific Disclosures
Disclosure Number	Disclosure Title	2018 Response
GRI 201: Economic Performance
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	2018 Form 10-K and 2019 Proxy Statement
201-1	Direct economic value generated and distributed	2018 Form 10-K, Item 6 and Item 7
201-2	Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change	Equinix CDP Climate Change Survey response
GRI 203: Indirect Economic Impacts
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s corporate philanthropy and citizenship efforts
203-1	Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services supported	Infrastructure investments: 2018 Form 10-K, Note 17 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Equinix’s corporate philanthropy and citizenship efforts. Metrics reported in USD. Indirect impacts: community grants: 2018 = $125,000 2017 = $195,000 2016 = $300,000 2015 = $280,000 Employee Volunteer hours: 2018 = 16,735 2017 = 11,503 2016 = 8,717 2015 = 5,000 Matching gifts: 2018 = $450,000 2017 = $344,000 2016 = $314,000 2015 = $212,000
203-2	Significant indirect economic impacts	Equinix considers its creation of job opportunities, both as a result of growth and from a need to replace leaving employees, as a significant indirect economic impact. A total of 1,243 employees were hired in 2018 against the 2,358 open positions, and the remaining positions not hired for were carried forward to 2019 or cancelled. Also, see Equinix’s corporate philanthropy and citizenship efforts linked to the UN SDGs.
GRI 205: Anti-corruption
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s Governance and Ethics efforts
205-1	Operations assessed for risks related to corruption	Every organization is judged by the actions of its people. When individuals consistently act with honesty and integrity, their company builds trust and a reputation for ethical behavior. At Equinix, we believe that acting ethically is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense. Worldwide, Equinix is committed to the highest standards of business and professional conduct. We designed our Code of Business Conduct to reflect and document our ethical values and standards. We use mandatory trainings on the Code to ensure that all Equinix employees are provided guidance on applying our ethical standards in their day-to-day decision-making and actions on behalf of our company.Equinix continually reviews its business operations and market environment to assess the various risk factors that have the potential to adversely affect our business. These risk factors, including those related to corruption, are reported annually as part of our SEC reporting. Please refer to our 10-K filing for 2018.
205-2	Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures	All new hires at Equinix must complete both Code of Business Conduct and anti-bribery and corruption training courses within six months of being hired. After that, employees are expected to take online or in-person compliance trainings on an annual basis depending on the training schedule each year. Trainings are available in multiple languages through a software program that enables us to reach 100% of Equinix employees. New Board members receive training on anti-bribery and corruption (ABC) risk and Equinix’s ABC policy and training program as part of their onboarding orientation session. Equinix’s management team also participates in all our all-employee mandatory trainings described above.Equinix’s Whistleblower Protection Policy protects corporate “whistleblowers”; ensuring that concerns around ethics and corruption can be taken seriously and acted upon by the Company.
205-3	Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken	Please review our SEC filings for detailed reporting on Corruption, Ethics and Compliance issues. Equinix strives to avoid duplicate reporting.
GRI 302: Energy
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s Environment efforts
302-1	Energy consumption within the organization	Equinix’s total energy consumption in 2018 was 5,235 GWh across Scope 1 and 2 (up from 4,610 GWh in 2017 or 21%). The regional breakdown for total energy (Scope 1 and 2) was: 45% Americas (2,375 GWh); 17% Asia-Pacific (903 GWh); 37% EMEA (1,957 GWh). Scope 2 contributions were 5,177 GWh (or 99%) and of that electric power only was 5,154 GWh. This includes consumption from fuel cells operated under power purchase agreements and chilled water. These values were assured to Limited Assurance ISO 14064-3 Requirements. In 2018, Equinix sourced clean and renewable energy around the world. Our regional renewable energy MWh totals were as follows: Americas: 2,188 GWh (up from 1,497 in 2017, 594 in 2016 and 100 in 2015) Asia-Pacific: 689 GWh (up from 515 in 2017, 257 in 2016 and 0 in 2015) EMEA: 1,849 GWh (up from 1,484 in 2017, 1,226 in 2016 and 769 in 2015) Global: 4,725 GWh (up from 3,495 in 2017, 2,077 in 2016 and 869 in 2015)
302-3	Energy intensity	Equinix’s energy intensity as measured by electricity consumption (GWh) per unit revenue (million USD) was: 2018: 1.021 GWh electricity per million USD (change of -2% year-over-year) 2017: 1.040 GWh electricity per million USD (change of +1% year-over-year) 2016: 1.029 GWh electricity per million USD (change of +8% year-over-year) 2015: 0.953 GWh electricity per million USD Note includes electric power and chilled water for all years. Equinix’s energy intensity as is driven both by site efficiency as well as how we generate revenue around the world.
302-4	Reduction of energy consumption	Demand reduction from energy efficiency activities since 2011 is roughly 25,000 kW annually including over 2,000 kW from projects completed in 2018.
GRI 305: Emissions
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s Environment efforts
305-1	Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions	Scope 1 emissions from: onsite diesel consumption for backup generation, natural gas used for heating and fuel cells, and refrigerant losses (new for 2018). The increase in Scope 1 year of 2018 is explained by the inclusion of refrigerant losses for the first time: 2018: 46,700 mtCO2e 2017: 14,766 mtCO2e 2016: 9,377 mtCO2e 2015: 9,100 mtCO2e
305-2	Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions	Equinix’s Scope 2 Location-based GHG emissions (electricity + chilled water) 2018: 1,916,400 mtCO2e (+9%) 2017: 1,756,167 mtCO2e (+36%) 2016: 1,526,838 mtCO2e (+11%) 2015: 1,122,413 mtCO2e The regional breakdown in 2018 was: 43% AMER (833,000 mtCO2e); 26% APAC (496,300 mtCO2e); 31% EMEA (587,100 mtCO2e). 2018: 224,000 mtCO2e (-52%) 2017: 466,902 mtCO2e (-41%) 2016: 797,792 mtCO2e (+4%) 2015: 766,068 mtCO2e The regional breakdown in 2018 was: 23% AMER (50,600 mtCO2e); 59% APAC (133,200 mtCO2e); 18% EMEA (40,200 mtCO2e). Market-based methodologies consider Equinix’s large renewable energy purchases which allow us to use a 0 mtCO2e emissions factor (or net zero emissions).
305-3	Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions	Equinix reports Scope 3 emissions from: Business air travel Business car rentals Business hotel stays Employee commuting Transmission & Distribution losses Waste The 2018 totals are: 2018 = 135,000 mtCO2e
305-4	GHG emissions intensity	Carbon Intensity as measured by total emissions (Scope 1+ Scope 2 Market-based emissions) per unit revenue (million USD) was: 2018: 53 mtCO2e per million USD (change of -52% year-over-year) 2017: 110 mtCO2e per million USD (change of -51% year-over-year) 2016: 224 mtCO2e per million USD (change of -21% year-over-year) 2015: 284 mtCO2e per million USDCarbon intensity is driven both by our supplier-based emissions factors and our purchases of low-carbon and renewable energy, as well as how we generate revenue around the world.
305-5	Reduction of GHG emissions	Equinix sources clean and renewable energy around the world to make progress against our 100% renewable energy goal. Our renewable energy totals in 2018 against our total Scope 2 electric power and chilled water purchases were: Americas: 2,188 GWh out of 2,340 GWh Asia-Pacific: 689 GWh out of 894 GWh EMEA: 1,849 GWh out of 1,943 GWh Global: 4,725 GWh out of 5,177 GWh Renewable Energy purchases reduce Equinix’s Scope 2 GHG emissions from: 2018: 1,916,400 mtCO2e absolute to 224,00 mtCO2e net (aka an avoidance of 1,692,400 mtCO2e). 2017: 1,756,166 mtCO2e absolute to 466,902 mtCO2e net (aka an avoidance of 1,289,264 mtCO2e). 2016: 1,526,837 mtCO2e absolute to 792,991 mtCO2e net (aka an avoidance of 729,045 mtCO2e). 2015: 1,122,413 mtCO2e absolute to 766,068 mtCO2e net (aka an avoidance of 356,3455 mtCO2e). (Note, Scope 2 includes electric power, fuel cells, and chilled water) Equinix also invests in energy efficiency upgrades, retrofits and improvements. Our $110 million in investment since 2011 results in annual emissions reductions of approximately 430,000 mtCO2e per year.
GRI 401: Employment
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s People efforts
401-1	New employee hires and employee turnover	New employees hired and (hire rate): 2018: 1,243 (17%) 2017: 1,350 (20%) 2016: 1,105 (22%) 2015: 959 (24%) Note, numbers depict how many employees were hired during the year both for newly created positions and for positions that became vacant as a result of employee attrition. Employees added as a result of acquisitions are not included. New Hire rate = # of new hires / average annual head count.Employee turnover rate: 2018: 12% 2017: 10% 2016: 11% 2015: 13% Represents how many employees left the organization voluntarily (includes retirement and death) as well as involuntarily (due to dismissal, misconduct, job performance, etc.). The 2018 attrition rate is lower than industry benchmark of 18%. Attrition was observed to be higher among millennials and women as compared to other employee groups.
401-3	Parental leave	Retention rate after parental leave (for EMEA and the Americas): 2018: Of 82 employees who took leave in 2017, 79% were still at Equinix in 2018 (85% of men, 73% of women) 2017: Of 49 employees who took leave in 2016, 98% were still at Equinix in 2017 (100% of men, 96% of women) 2016: Of 54 employees who took leave in 2015, 98% were still at Equinix in 2016 (97% of men, 100% of women) 2015: Of 55 employees who took leave in 2014, 89% were still at Equinix in 2015 (92% of men, 82% of women)
SOC-3-a (Equinix Internal Metric)	Employee satisfaction – survey response rate	Equinix uses the semi-annual Equinix Pulse Survey to gauge employee experience and make changes to enhance employee engagement and employee satisfaction. Survey Response Rate for 1st half of year; 2nd half of year (annual average): 2018: 1st half 90%; 2nd half 88% (89% avg) 2017: 1st half 87%; 2nd half 86% (87% avg) 2016: 1st half 87%; 2nd half 90% (88% avg) 2015: 85% Note: In the first half of 2018, the Pulse Survey was sent out to 6,839 employees globally, of which 90% (6,152 employees) completed the survey. In the second half of 2018, the Pulse Survey was sent out to 7,448 employees globally, of which 88% (6,506 employees) completed the survey.
SOC-3-b (Equinix Internal Metric)	Employee satisfaction – survey results	The Pulse Survey has 5 indices: Communication, Alignment, Engagement, Belonging and Other. To determine employee satisfaction results, Equinix takes the “Engagement” index questions and creates an aggregate score. The Engagement index measures the commitment level and satisfaction level of employees. Engagement or satisfaction score: 2018: 1st half 85%; 2nd half 85% (85% avg) 2017: 1st half 84%; 2nd half 85% (85% avg) 2016: 1st half 88%; 2nd half 88% (88% avg) 2015: 85% In 2017, in addition to Engagement, Equinix has also introduced questions to assess whether employees feel like they belong at Equinix. Data from these questions will be used to inform and create a more inclusive workplace.
GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s Social Pillar efforts
403-9	Work-related injuries	In 2018, Equinix had : No fatalities as a result of work-related injury; A high consequence work-related injury rate of 0.4%; and A recordable work-related injury rate of 1.38% U.S. and Canada had a lost day rate of 0.05%Equinix previously reported its absentee rate, but it is not a recommended disclosure in the new version of the GRI Standards: GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety 2018. To request this information, please contact sustainability@equinix.com.
GRI 404: Training and Education
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s Social Pillar efforts
404-1	Average hours of training per year per employee	In 2018, more than 8,000 learning resources were available to all employees, 8,765 employees started or completed training on the Learning Management System (LMS), with an average of 22.9 hours on the system per learner.
404-2	Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition assistance programs	Learning resources available to employees include: Equinix specific material created and deployed by various departments such as HR, Sales, Operations, Customer Care; CrossKnowledge libraries; Project Management; Agile; PMP Certification; Digital Literacy; Microsoft Office; Leadership; and a large variety of leadership and soft skills training resources. Equinix also has robust training programs covering our global policies and procedures – these are mandatory courses assigned to all employees, and are available in multiple languages. Examples include: Global Code of Business Conduct; Anti-Bribery and Corruption; Preventing Workplace Harassment; Security Awareness and Responsibility; Business Continuity Training; and an introduction to REITs. Training and resources are also provided through external channels such as function-specific conferences and trainings, such as Tableau training. In 2018, Equinix spent a total of $6.3 million on training, or approximately $800 per headcount, for G&A, Sales & Marketing, and Corporate groups. In addition, Equinix offers tuition reimbursement for academic programs, which contributes to overall employee development.
GRI 405: Diversity and Equal Opportunity
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s People efforts
405-1	Diversity of governance bodies and employees	The 2018 composition of Equinix’s governance bodies and Executive team was as follows: Board of Directors: 8 male: 1 female (88%; 11%) E-staff members: 10 male: 2 female (83%; 17%)The 2018 composition of Equinix’s employees was as follows: Regional FTEs: Americas (3,387), Asia-Pacific (1,580), EMEA (2,556), TOTAL (7,523) Regional diversity: Americas (45%), Asia-Pacific (21%), EMEA (34%) Gender diversity: Female (22%), Male (77%), Not identified (0.49%) Age diversity: Millennials (1982 – 1999) (40%), Gen X (1965-1981) (50%), Baby Boomers (1946-1964) (10%), Decline to ID (0.09%) Age diversity: Under 30 (16%), 30-50 (69%), Over 50 (15%), Decline to ID (0.08%) Skills diversity: General & Administrative (19%), Sales & Marketing (18%), Operations (52%), Technology (10%)
405-2	Ratio of basic salary and remuneration of women to men	We are advocates of pay equity – our Rewards & Compensation team engages in regular market studies about pay, and as of 2017, our global guidance to hiring managers is to refrain from asking candidates about their salary history, and instead focus on the appropriate pay for the job being offered. Globally, Equinix representation of females in the workforce and in leadership roles is on par with our peers in the industry.
GRI 406: Non-discrimination
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s People efforts
406-1	Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken	Equinix takes seriously the importance of offering a workplace free of unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Our company policies, including our Employee Handbooks and Code of Business Conduct prohibit discrimination and outline Equinix’s policies preventing unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and the numerous resources employees have if they wish to report any potential violations of these policies Equinix also conducts mandatory sexual harassment training for all US employees as well as in several other geographies All reports of potential violations of policy are promptly and adequately addressed by members of Equinix’s HR and/or Legal departments Equinix is opposed to modern slavery and human trafficking in all its forms and expect the same opposition from all who work for us and we demand it from anyone with whom we have business dealings. In 2018, Equinix had 0 confirmed incidents of discrimination.
GRI 417: Marketing and Labeling
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s Environment efforts
417-1	Requirements for product and service information and labeling	Equinix data centers provide a secure and reliable place for our customers’ IT equipment. Equinix supplies the power needed to run that equipment 24×7. Equinix tracks the energy content for 100% of its IBX data centers globally and makes available energy consumption, energy efficiency and renewable energy data to its customers. Data centers can use their large electricity loads for positive social and environmental impact and Equinix’s 100% renewable energy goal is bringing more renewable energy generation sources online both locally and regionally. Upon request, customers can access custom environmental sustainability reports for their deployments within Equinix data centers including a list of all sites covered 100% with renewable energy in the calendar year and resulting in a net zero market-based carbon emissions factor (CEF) at those sites.
SOC-11 (Equinix Internal Metric)	Customer experience	Equinix puts the customer at the center and is committed to improving our customers’ interactions with us. The best way to improve our customers’ interactions is to understand how well we are doing and use customer insight to improve and we want customer experience to be a strategic differentiator at Equinix. We achieve this by listening, getting insights and actioning the feedback. Listening to our customers is the core of Customer Experience. We listen through Voice of Customer (VoC) processes that integrate solicited, unsolicited (through their Strategic Business Reviews via account management teams), and inferred customer feedback to provide us with a holistic view of our customers. The Customer Experience team measures our customers’ experiences in value moments throughout their customer journey and how they feel about our overall relationship. In 2018, 100% of our customers received customer satisfaction surveys in 2018 with a 3.9% response rate – aligned with the industry average. Customers are invited to discuss points of input varying from, NPS surveys, open-ended comment forms, and onsite/IBX surveys.
GRI 418: Customer Privacy
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix has delivered a cross functional compliance program to implement the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will cover personal data breach notification measures, and many other aspects of Data Privacy compliance globally in Equinix. Equinix has established a Privacy Office lead by Legal, but with functional representation to manage this program of work and to continue to act as a support model for data privacy compliance at Equinix world-wide on an ongoing basis. Equinix protects our customers’ business contact information, which is different to the customer application data that transits or is stored on the customer owned or controlled server equipment for which Equinix is not responsible. As Equinix operates a global platform for many of its systems, processes and policies that relate to handling personal data of employees, customers or other third parties, Equinix has implemented GDPR across that global platform. Equinix continues its involvement across our global customer base to assist customers in their own GDPR compliance, as appropriate.
418-1	Substantiated complaints concerning breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data	Please review our SEC filings for detailed reporting on Privacy and other Ethics and Compliance issues. Equinix strives to avoid duplicate reporting.
GRI 419: Socioeconomic Compliance
103-1	Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary	Materiality Assessment
103-2 103-3	The management approach and its components Evaluation of the management approach	Equinix’s Governance efforts
419-1	Non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area	As a global company, Equinix must comply with the laws in all the places we do business. Our employees understand this means they are responsible for understanding and complying with all laws and regulations that affect our jobs. In this way we proactively avoid both the monetary and reputation risks associated with sanctions and fines for non-compliance. In 2018, Equinix received no significant or material fines or non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations.
Company-specific Metrics
SOC-10 (Equinix Internal Metric)	Total customer uptime in a given year as measured in yearly availability.	Equinix IBX data centers feature advanced design, security, power and cooling elements to provide customers with industry- leading reliability, including average uptime of 99.9999% globally in 2018 (2018 Annual Report, Page 5). All Equinix IBX data centers are equipped with UPS power, backup systems and N+1 (or greater) redundancy. The company guarantees certain service levels, such as uptime, as outlined in individual customer contracts. In 2018, Equinix regions had the following uptimes: Americas: 99.999915% Asia-Pacific: 99.999995% EMEA: 99.999972% Global: 99.999954%