Commercial, GHG Emissions, Sourcing Renewables  -  January 26, 2021

Akamai Technologies reduced emissions in spite of growth

Global tech company Akamai Technologies announced on Jan. 25 that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by sourcing more renewable energy. While 2020 traffic on the Akamai platform increased, Akamai's greenhouse gas emissions decreased, as revealed in its sustainability report. 

In 2015, the company implemented a five-year plan focusing on reducing energy intensity across its global platform, investing in net-new renewable energy projects, reducing and managing greenhouse gas output and responsibly managing e-waste.

"The internet poses challenges for the environment and is responsible for what is said to be about 2% of global energy usage. And it emits as much CO2 as the airline industry," Mike Mattera, director, corporate sustainability, Akamai Technologies, said in a statement. "As a leading performance, security and delivery provider, we share the responsibility for reducing the internet's carbon emissions. That's why back in 2015, we set goals to lessen our emissions by 30%, power our edge platform with 50% renewable energy, and recycle 100% of our e-waste all by the end of 2020. I am proud that we have met each of these goals."

The company's sustainability initiatives are designed to measure and mitigate the impact of business operations while maximizing and enhancing the benefits from sustainable business practices. Sustainable programs focus on several key areas – network carbon efficiency, electronic waste management, renewable energy procurement and an environmentally lower-impact corporate office selection and renovation program. Highlights of the Akamai 2020 sustainability report include:

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30% since 2015
• Met 50% renewable energy goal was met through investments in net-new grid-connected renewable energy projects including winds farm in Texas and Illinois and a solar array in Virginia, which cover about 23% of Akamai's global power needs
• Used ten times less energy per unit of capacity than the platform did in 2015
• Reduced scope 2 emissions by more than 50% from 2019 levels
• Helped customers meet their own sustainability goals
• Provided supply-chain education, public advocacy and partnerships 
• Supported sustainability legislation in Massachusetts and Virginia

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