Celebrating Action for Earth Day

Unicorns are seen as magical. But—even though they have their own national US holiday—they don’t exist. So unlike National Unicorn Day a couple weeks ago, Earth Day is a chance to give visibility to something very real that requires more than magic; it requires action.

Data centers are among the highest consumers of power, so it’s imperative that we take action to decrease our carbon footprint and increase our usage of renewable energy. Strategic work and investment goes into enhancing Digital Realty’s sustainability initiatives year-round.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy comprises of energy sourced from the sun (solar), wind, and water (hydroelectricity). Digital Realty is the leading global consumer of renewable energy among data center providers with 100% wind power for U.S. colocation and interconnectivity business. In EMEA, we are using 100% renewable energy and make up 30% of the global renewable supply. And it doesn’t just stop there: we have 247 MW solar and wind capacity under contract.

Green Buildings

To manage our impact on the environment, we have more certified green buildings than any other data center provider in the world. In fact, 664 MW is certified globally to be exact. LEED is one of the most rigorous certification processes that covers nine basic areas of green buildings:

1. Integrative process
2. Location and transportation
3. Sustainable sites
4. Water efficiency
5. Energy and atmosphere
6. Materials and resources
7. Indoor environmental quality
8. Innovation
9. Regional priority

We own and operate the first data center in Silicon Valley to achieve LEED Platinum,the highest rating level. And the platinum doesn’t stop there; we have GreenMark Platinum certifications across our portfolio in Singapore.

Energy Efficiency

We have the most Energy Star certifications among data center providers and have exceeded our 20% efficiency target ahead of schedule under Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge for Data Centers.

Green Bonds

We are also invested in supporting programs that benefit the environment. In 2015, we became the first data center to issue an industry green bond. And this year, we are offering €850 million in “Euro Notes” for Euro green bonds to be allocated towards eligible green projects.

As a data center provider, we are serious about the environment, and we know our customers are too.

Learn more about why Green Data Centers are Imperative for Enterprise Success.