August 27, 2024 – San Francisco: Today, Meta Platforms, Inc. reinforced its commitments to sustainability by publishing its 2024 Sustainability Report. In the report, the company outlines the continued work it is undertaking to help fight climate change, restore natural resources, and transition to renewable energy. The environmental initiatives led by Meta have marked a pathway of commitment toward a sustainable future with major reductions in carbon emissions, innovative water restoration projects, and an unprecedented level of renewable energy procurement.
Since 2020, Meta reapplied net zero emissions across all its global operations. This was through matching electric usage 100% with renewable energy sources, which was very aggressive in carbon footprint reduction. It had managed to reduce its emissions by 94% from a 2017 baseline through the use of renewable energy. Rachel Peterson, Vice President of Infrastructure Data Centers at Meta, said, “Since 2020, we have kept net zero emissions across our global operations. We’ll keep the progress going and continue to shrink our footprint as we forge ahead.”
Not only has Meta been working on carbon reduction, but the company has also engaged in a number of water restoration projects of late, another key feature in its holistic environmental approach. Currently, Meta has developed 18 on-the-ground water restoration projects that have returned a total of 1.5 billion gallons to high and medium-stressed water areas. This objective is part of the broader commitment by Meta to restore more water than the company consumes by 2030, underlining key areas of focus by the company on water stress and responsible water management.
Along with its carbon and water initiatives, Meta leads in renewable energy, too. To date, the company has contracted for over 11.7 GW of renewable energy worldwide, with a pioneering proportion being one of the largest corporate buyers of clean energy. This leadership in the procurement of renewable energies is not only testimony to Meta’s commitment to reducing operational emissions but also a driver towards wider renewable energy adoption across different regions. In this respect, Meta is critical as the company seeks to contribute to a low-carbon economy and eventually foster sustainable energy practices globally.
Looking ahead, Meta is leading the way in innovating data centers with even more AI and high-performance computing capabilities. “Our new data centers will be designed to support liquid-cooled hardware and a high-performance network,” Peterson added. “We’re committed to making these facilities future-flexible while considering both near- and long-term impacts on our decarbonization goals.” This foresighted approach underlines Meta’s commitment to integrating the latest technology with sustainability best practices.
Collaboration lies at the heart of everything we do in sustainability. We just can’t imagine a zero-carbon future without collaboration across industries. That’s why Meta is teaming up with sustainability experts, researchers, utilities, nonprofits, and other organizations to help design innovative solutions for a climate-resilient future. These include the Zero Emissions | Reliability Optimized Grid Initiative, ZEROgrid, which will improve grid reliability and develop new incentives for increased corporate investment in climate solutions.
It’s in this vein that Blair Swedeen, Global Head of Net Zero and Sustainability at Meta, and Leslie Collins, Director of Sustainability, put the company ethos best: “Meta believes sustainability is about more than operating responsibly; it is an opportunity to support the communities we are part of and have a positive impact on the world. Our size and scale enable us to influence the future of decarbonization, the expansion of renewable energy, and the integrity of climate solutions.”.
With all its great achievements, Meta recognizes that there are many challenge points going forward. It is committed to net zero value chain emissions by 2030-a rather ambitious task that will require continued effort and innovation. The company is steadfast in commitment to science-based targets that reduce emissions, while collaborating with various stakeholders on Active efforts and programs that can help address these challenges and move forward with sustainable climate solutions.
Meta’s 2024 Sustainability Report indicates a commitment of the company to balance profitability with environmental and social responsibility. To this end, it is hoped that the leading edge taken by the company in regard to proactive reduction, restoration, and leadership in renewable energy procurement would set the benchmark for good corporate sustainability practice as it charts its path forward in order to reach a sustainable future.
In a nutshell, Meta leads in sustainability because of its ambitious goals and innovative initiatives. Its centered drive toward reducing carbon footprint, restoring hydric resources, and driving transition toward renewable energy places Meta optimally to drive positive environmental changes in contributing toward making the future of all sustainable.