Commercial, GHG Emissions  -  June 10, 2020

Vertical Bridge achieves 100% carbon neutrality

Vertical Bridge, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the U.S., announced June 10 that they are officially 100% carbon neutral.

According to the company, Vertical Bridge is the first telecommunications tower company in the world to achieve net-zero emissions. By working with Natural Capital Partners, Vertical Bridge was able to assess their carbon footprint from the energy consumed by their offices, operation and construction of towers and business travel and implemented carbon reduction tactics where they could. In instances where emissions were unavoidable, the company supports four projects in North America to offset the remaining emissions. 

These projects include initiatives that preserve grasslands across Colorado and Montana, locking carbon into the soil and avoiding the emissions from conversion to agriculture, as well as reducing the environmental impact of landfills through methane capture and electricity generation. The other two projects focus on reforestation of 2.4 million acres of native woodland in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and protecting 156,000 acres of Boreal forests in British Columbia from subdivision and high-impact logging.

"Being a profitable and at-scale company doesn't mean much if you don't foster the right culture. That's why philanthropy is such a big component of Vertical Bridge and why it's an employee-driven program," Alex Gellman, Co-Founder and CEO of Vertical Bridge, said in a statement. "As we thought about our company's growth and overall social responsibility goals, becoming carbon neutral was a natural progression and something everyone at Vertical Bridge would be excited to be a part of. I am tremendously proud of our entire team's continual efforts to make a difference and look forward to seeing these programs continue to grow."