At Equinix, materiality matters. We are targeting improvements in material ESG areas that our business impacts and driving standardization in reporting and transparency.
First data center company to make a global commitment to reach climate neutral across its operations
Validated science-based target for operations and supply chain emissions
Drove data center alignment and self-regulation of EU sustainability requirements
Fourth year in a row +90% renewable energy achieved globally toward our 100% goal
Issued since 2020, with $2.9B allocated towards green buildings, renewable energy and efficiency projects
Second year in a row at A- level demonstrating leadership and transparency on climate risk
Driving operational excellence and energy demand reduction in 2021
Incremental improvement in Power Usage Effectiveness of 5.5% from 2020 to 2021
Total data center area certified through USGBC LEED rating system
* As of April 2022
Employee completion of Ethics and Compliance trainings
Achieved certification for data security policies and protocols
CPA-Zicklin Index improvement for political transparency
Nominating and Governance Committee with formal oversight of ESG per its Charter
Three most recent additions to Board have been women and/or racially diverse
Procurement-led strategy focused on diversity and sustainability
Select employees received targeted GDPR compliance training
Equinix leaders serving as Board Members or Chairs for data center industry associations
Customer cyber audits conducted with zero high-risk findings
The information disclosed below reflects the reporting period from January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Disclosure Number | Disclosure Title | 2021 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®) and xScale™ colocation data centers, as well as interconnection solutions and managed IT infrastructure services. Additional details are available in our 2021 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 2021, Equinix operated 240 IBX and xScale data centers in 66 strategic markets in 27 countries across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”). As of December 2021, Equinix operated:
|
|
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 2021, Equinix operated in 66 strategic markets across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEA with more than 10,000 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 | 2021 Form 10-K, Item 1 | |
102-8 | Information on employees and other workers | Total headcount: Equinix had 10,612 regular employees as of December 31, 2021. This is a 12.2% headcount growth since 2020.
Total number of employees/workers by type and by gender:
Total number of employees by employment by type and by region:
Total number of regular employees by employment type and by gender:
Total number of regular employees by exempt and non-exempt status:
|
|
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 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 suppliers 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. Our Business Partner Code of Conduct details our supplier ESG requirements. | |
102-10 | Significant changes to the organization and its supply chain | In 2021, we opened nine new IBX data centers, opened six new xScale data centers via our joint ventures, and entered three new markets resulting in an increase in our total number of data center facilities to 240, which includes the MU4 and GN1 data centers which opened in January 2022. In September 2021, we announced that we extended Platform Equinix® into the strategic Indian market, following the completion of the acquisition of the India operations of GPX Global Systems, Inc. In December 2021, we also announced our expansion into Africa through the planned acquisition of MainOne, a leading West African data center and connectivity solutions provider. GPX and MainOne are excluded from the reporting boundary unless noted otherwise. | |
102-11 | Precautionary Principle or approach | Equinix does not specifically apply the precautionary principle; however, Equinix complies with all applicable local, regional, federal, and international laws and regulations. We take steps to ensure that we can operate with the highest levels of integrity and reliability, and we aim to develop programs to meet or exceed industry best practices. 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 | As of December 31, 2021, Equinix participated in the following initiatives, in no particular order: Accounting for Sustainability (A4S), CDP, CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, Digital Inclusion Benchmark, EcoVadis, EU Code of Conduct for Data Centres, the European Data Center Association (EUDCA), EU Data Center Operator, Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), Green Datacentre Research Programme, Information Technology Industry Council (and the former The Green Grid), ISO 14001 Environmental Management System, ISO 50001 Energy Management System, NAREIT Real Estate Sustainability Council (RESC) and ESG Forum, Paradigm for Parity, RE100, SASB, Singapore BCA-IMDA Green Mark, S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, TCFD, techUK, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Data Center Rating program, U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), VigeoEiris. Please note this list is not exhaustive. | |
102-13 | Membership of associations | Equinix’s membership in any trade association does not indicate our agreement with all views and positions taken by the association. As of December 31, 2021, we were active members of the following sample list organizations.
Trade Organizations
|
|
GRI 102: Strategy | |||
102-14 | Statement from senior decision-maker | CEO Letter | |
102-15 | Key impacts, risks, and opportunities | 2021 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 details the company’s corporate values and ethics and compliance requirements for employees and all individuals acting on Equinix’s behalf. | |
GRI 102: Governance | |||
102-17 | Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics | Equinix’s Code of Business Conduct details the company’s whistleblower protection practices. Equinix’s Whistleblower Policy protects corporate “whistleblowers,” ensuring that concerns around ethics and corruption are 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.
In 2021, Equinix combined its Nominating Committee and its Governance Committee into a single Nominating and Governance Committee which is made up solely of independent directors. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for ESG oversight at Equinix and regularly reviews strategies, policies, practices, performance and reporting related to corporate environment, social and governance matters. Responsibilities of our Sustainability Executive Steering Committee and Sustainability Program Office (SPO) 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. The sustainability program contains three program tracks (or pillars). In 2021, each pillar was 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 sustainability in 2021 was led by a global program director and executed by a Working Team that consists of ~30 global and regional leads. The Working Team meets periodically, the Steering Committee meets 2-4x annually, and the program director with support of the Working Team has access to the CEO and Board of Directors Nominating and Governance Committee quarterly as needed. Consultation with stakeholders is led by the working team and Equinix’s materiality assessment (last updated in the fall of 2020) engaged a variety of stakeholders who provided their feedback on Equinix’s ESG programs and goals. Equinix’s Investor Relations (IR) team also met with numerous investors around the world by attending or hosting over 30 investor conferences, non-deal roadshows, and investor group events. Certain investors also requested engagement meetings to discuss topics related to our corporate governance model, ESG issues or our executive compensation program. Additionally, Equinix’s IR team proactively reached out for meetings with our 25 largest stockholders in the fall of 2021 to discuss these topics and solicit feedback. Equinix’s corporate governance structure can be found on Equinix’s Investor Relations website under Corporate Governance. Additional details are available in our 2022 Proxy Statement. |
|
102-22 | Composition of the highest governance body and its committees | 2022 Proxy Statement | |
102-23 | Chair of the highest governance body | 2022 Proxy Statement | |
102-24 | Nominating and selecting the highest governance body | 2022 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, both Brazil and Canada have collective bargaining. 100% of the workforce in Brazil is covered by collective bargaining with the union. In Canada, 4.4% of the workforce is unionized.
In Asia-Pacific, Equinix employees are not covered by collective bargaining or labor unions. However, in Japan, China and Korea, for any change in benefit or employment terms, Equinix will have to go through employee consultation process and get their consent. In EMEA, France, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Finland and Sweden have formal works councils or representative employee bodies. France has collective bargaining in place with the current scope applying to 65% of employees. |
|
102-42 | Identifying and selecting stakeholders | Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of our sustainability efforts. Equinix identifies its key stakeholders as those who may have the greatest impact or influence on Equinix’s business or those that Equinix most greatly affects. Equinix’s key stakeholders and the engagement methods and frequency of engagement are detailed in our 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 2021 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 | Changes in the operational boundary for sustainability report include: the inclusion of 2021 completed sites (BX1, DC21, FR8, LD11x, MC1, ML5, PA9x, SG5, SP5x, SV11, TY12x). Equinix acquisitions of MainOne and GPX are excluded from the reporting boundary unless noted otherwise. In addition, data center expansions at existing sites are also included. For more details, please refer to our Materiality Assessment discussion. | |
102-50 | Reporting period | 2021 calendar year | |
102-51 | Date of most recent report | Released April 2022 covering 2021 data | |
102-52 | Reporting cycle | Annually | |
102-53 | Contact point for questions regarding the report | Sustainability Program Office 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 2015-2021 energy, renewable energy, and Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions have been externally verified to Limited Assurance Standards ISO 14064-3. |
Disclosure Number | Disclosure Title | 2021 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 |
2021 Form 10-K | |
201-1 | Direct economic value generated and distributed | 2021 Form 10-K, Item 7 | |
201-2 | Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change | Equinix 2021 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: 2021 Form 10-K, Note 17 in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Our Community Impact program promotes connection and belonging, and enables employees to give back, with the support of Equinix, to the communities in which we work and live. In total, our Community Impact efforts in 2021 resulted in approximately $2.05 million in employee donations, corporate matching and grants, and more than 16,500 volunteer hours, to approximately 2,200 nonprofits worldwide. |
|
203-2 | Significant indirect economic impacts | This metric helps determine how many job opportunities were created in 2021, both as a result of growth and from a need to replace leaving employees. A total of 1,751 employees were hired externally in 2021 against the 3,238 open positions, 731 positions were filled internally, and the remaining positions not hired for, carried forward to 2022 or cancelled. | |
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 & 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. 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 including our stance on corruption. We assign mandatory trainings on the Code of Business Conduct and anti-bribery and corruption 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. We also periodically survey our employees and conduct risk assessments to assess the effectiveness of our programs. Equinix continually reviews its business operations and market environment to assess the various risks that have the potential to adversely affect our business. These risks, including those related to corruption, are reported annually in the risk factors section of our SEC reporting. Please refer to our 2021 Form 10-K. | |
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 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.
In 2021, Equinix had no verified violations of applicable anti-bribery and corruption laws. |
|
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 | Energy Consumption: Total energy consumption in 2021 was 7,200 GWh across Scope 1 and 2 (up from 6,589 GWh in 2020 or 10%). Scope 2 was 7,193 GWh (+11% YOY). The regional breakdown for Scope 2 was:
Note: Scope 2 includes consumption from electric power, fuel cells operated under power purchase agreements and chilled water. These values were assured to Limited Assurance ISO 14064-3 Requirements. Renewable Energy Consumption: Total renewable energy consumption in 2021 was 6,770 GWh (+16% YOY)
|
|
302-3 | Energy intensity | Energy intensity as measured by electricity consumption (GWh) per unit revenue (million USD) was:
Note: includes electric power and chilled water for all years. Equinix’s energy intensity is driven both by site efficiency as well as how we generate revenue around the world. Energy intensity as measured by electricity consumption (GWh) per data center floor area (gross sq. ft) was:
Note: includes electric power and chilled water for all years. Equinix’s energy intensity 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 investments since 2011 is roughly 47,500 kW annually including 15,500 kW from projects completed in 2021. | |
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: on-site diesel consumption for backup generation, natural gas used for heating and fuel cells, and refrigerant losses (new since 2018).
The primary drivers for the decrease in Scope 1 emissions include the shutdown of the on-site natural gas-based cogeneration facility at MX1 and an overall reduction in refrigerant leakages due to focused efforts across our operations. |
|
305-2 | Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions | Scope 2 Location-based GHG emissions (electricity + chilled water), with YOY trend:
The regional breakdown in 2021 was: 38% AMER (881,100 mtCO2e); 34% APAC (786,200 mtCO2e); 28% EMEA (640,300 mtCO2e). Scope 2 Market-based GHG emissions (electricity + chilled water) including contribution of renewable energy purchasing, with YOY trend:
The regional breakdown in 2021 was: 3% AMER (8,200 mtCO2e); 96% APAC (245,100 mtCO2e); 1% EMEA (1,500 mtCO2e). Market-based methodologies take into account Equinix’s large renewable energy purchases, which allow us to use a 0 mtCO2e/MWh emissions factor (or net zero emissions from electricity). |
|
305-3 | Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions | Scope 3 emissions come from:
Scope 3 totals** were:
*For 2019 and 2020, Equinix has reported FERA Location-Based emissions but has elected to report FERA Market-Based emissions moving forward as it better reflects Equinix operations. ** The 2019 and 2020 Scope 3 totals have been adjusted to reflect FERA Market-Based emissions |
|
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:
Carbon 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. The trend of intensity increasing in 2020 was driven by organic growth in regions without renewable energy (e.g. Australia). |
|
305-5 | Reduction of GHG emissions | Equinix sources clean and renewable energy around the world to make progress against our 100% renewable energy goal. Renewable energy coverage vs. our electricity usage in 2021 was:
Specifically, Renewable Energy purchases reduce Scope 2 GHG emissions (from location-based to market-based):
(Note: Scope 2 includes electric power, fuel cells under power purchase agreement, and chilled water) |
|
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 Social efforts | |
401-1 | New employee hires and employee turnover | New employees hired and (hire rate):
Note: numbers depict how many people 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:
Represents how many employees left the organization voluntarily (includes retirement and death) as well as involuntarily (due to dismissal, misconduct, job performance, etc.). |
|
401-3 | Parental leave | Retention rate after parental leave (for EMEA and the Americas 2018; Americas and APAC 2019, 2020 and 2021):
|
|
SOC-3-a (Equinix Internal Metric) | Employee satisfaction – survey response rate | In 2020, Equinix moved from administering its Pulse Survey from twice a year to administering it on a quarterly basis. The “response rate” metric shows how many employees participated in the Pulse Survey. Higher response rate is preferred because it indicates that the survey is representative of a larger percentage of the employee population. The Pulse Survey was released four times in 2021:
When averaged across the quarters, the response rate was 79%. |
|
SOC-3-b (Equinix Internal Metric) | Employee satisfaction – survey results | Employee satisfaction is derived from the Pulse Survey administered each quarter. In 2021, employees responded with a satisfaction score of 84 in Q1, 83 in Q2, 83 in Q3 and 82 in Q4. | |
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 2021, Equinix had:
Equinix previously reported its absentee rate and lost day rates for the U.S. and Canada, 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 efforts | |
404-1 | Average hours of training per year per employee | In 2021, Equinix employees averaged 21.7 hours of training per employee per year. | |
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; LinkedIn Learning; 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 (in U.S. and Asia-Pacific); 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 function-specific trainings such as Tableau training. Equinix also offers tuition reimbursement for academic programs, which contributes to overall employee development. In 2021, Equinix averaged $722 in training costs per FTE. |
|
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 2021 composition of Equinix’s governance bodies and Executive team was as follows:
The 2021 composition of Equinix’s employees was as follows:
Representation of Women in 2021 by level, globally:
Representation of Women in 2021 in technology roles, globally:
Representation at each level by Race/Ethnicity (for the U.S. only):
See Commitment to Pay Equity for additional information. |
|
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 since 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 women 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 harassment training in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific. 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 expects the same opposition from all who work for us. Equinix requires all business partners to adhere to respect human rights, employee health and safety, and a voluntary labor force in accordance with the United Nation Declaration on Human Rights and the International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, as outlined in the Business Partner Code of Conduct.
In 2021, Equinix had 0 verified 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. In 2021, Equinix tracked 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. We believe that data centers can leverage 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 in order to address the urgent need to move utility grids away from fossil fuels to address climate change. Upon request, customers can access custom Green Power Reports for their deployments within Equinix data centers. All deployments covered 100% with renewable energy in the calendar year result in a net zero market-based carbon emissions factor (CEF) for electricity at those sites. | |
SOC-11 (Equinix Internal Metric) |
Customer experience | Equinix is built on a culture of putting the customer at the center of everything we do. Aligning around the customer means delivering value for their business, building long-term strategic partnerships and driving loyalty by listening to and acting on their feedback. We want customers to recommend Equinix above all others because we deliver experiences they value with the digital infrastructure they trust. We aim to reach 100% of our customers through our ongoing Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, listening and learning across all industries and personas. We are pleased that customer sentiment has reflected our NPS above the tech industry average for all four years of measurement with this metric. In 2021, we saw our score continue to increase year on year, represented by 5,800 voices. Our efforts to make the customer experience a strategic differentiator revolve around:
Listening – We listen through voice-of-the-customer programs that aggregate feedback from a variety of sources, including outbound surveys, events and focus groups, passive forms/surveys, online feedback buttons and employee collected forms. Analyzing the Data – We measure feedback from customers’ experiences during value moments and by collecting data on how they feel about our overall relationship. Learnings from the analysis inform our strategy and shape our customer improvement initiatives and focus areas. Taking Action – As we prioritize, implement and track customer improvements across the company, our goal is to ensure our actions are delivering value and positively impacting our customers’ experience. Sharing Progress – Finally, we recognize that customer improvements aren’t meaningful if no one knows about them. We follow up with customers so they know their voice is being heard and to demonstrate how their feedback makes a difference in how they can expect to do business with us. |
|
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 protects our customers’ business contact information and other personal data used to facilitate access to our data centers. Equinix has delivered a cross functional compliance program to implement the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR is a comprehensive set of data privacy compliance measures, including stringent personal data breach notification measures, and a process for responding to individual subject access requests. GDPR compliance is implemented across our global platform for systems, processes and policies that handle personal data of our customers, employees and other third parties, helping us facilitate compliance with new data privacy laws as they emerge globally. As Equinix launches new applications and systems, the Equinix Privacy Office is embedded in the process for such builds and launches to ensure that data privacy processes and policies are appropriately addressed. The Privacy Office is led by Legal with functional representation that manages this program of work, and reports to the Governance Committee of the Board. The Privacy Office continues to oversee data privacy compliance at Equinix in all applicable markets on an ongoing basis. Equinix continues its involvement across our global customer base to assist customers in their own data privacy compliance, as appropriate. | |
418-1 | Substantiated complaints concerning breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data | In 2021, no material complaints concerning breaches of data privacy impacting our customers or losses of customer data were substantiated. | |
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 Code of Business Conduct makes clear and our employees receive training that explains all employees are responsible for understanding and complying with the 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 with applicable laws. In 2021, 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 2021. As of December 31, 2021, 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. | |
SOC-11 (Equinix Internal Metric) |
Annual Average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). | Equinix measures PUE, a measure of data center efficiency, at all of its sites. We are transitioning to PUE1, a 12-month rolling average of PUE. Although currently sites are reporting data differently, we report an annual average PUE of 1.48 across our global portfolio in 2021. This excludes recent and planned acquisitions such as GPX and MainOne. |