Data centre operator Equinix Inc has announced its commitment to become climate-neutral and is targeting to reduce emissions across its global operations and supply chain by 2030.
Among others, Equinix aims to cut its so-called Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (direct and indirect from electricity) by 50% by 2030 against a 2019 baseline.
To achieve this goal, Equinix is targeting to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Data centres are notorious guzzlers of energy as cooling is needed to keep the servers they house operating optimally.
Additional carbon emission reductions will be achieved through driving energy efficiency savings, reducing refrigerant loss, phasing out high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants as well as investigating the replacement of diesel generators with cleaner on-site generation technologies.
Equinix plans to take advantage of select carbon offsets and investigate new innovations, such as biodiesel, green hydrogen and other lower carbon on-site generation technologies.
See also: GIC, Equinix in JV to develop data centres in Europe for more than US$1 bil
To date, Equinix has issued US$3.7 billion in green bonds toward environmentally sustainable projects across green buildings, renewable energy, energy and water efficiency, waste and clean transportation.
Leveraging on its heft, Equinix will also require that 66% of its suppliers by emissions—within the categories of Purchased Goods and Services and Capital Goods—will have set their own targets by FY2025.
“We share the urgency of governments, the industry, and our customers that innovation and action are essential to ensure data centres are more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions quickly to address the impacts of global climate change,” says Raouf Abdel, Equinix’s executive vice president for global operations.
