Akamai Announces New 2030 Sustainability Goals

100% renewable energy; net zero emissions platform

May 24, 2021 - Akamai Technologies, Inc. (Akamai), a global provider of solutions that protect and deliver digital experiences and are trusted by enterprises around the world, recently announced new goals for its global sustainability program. The new goals cover five areas and are expected to be achieved by 2030. These goals focus on three areas: the Akamai Intelligent Edge Platform, the communities where it lives, works and operates, and its global supply chain.

1.100% renewable energy

Akamai will prioritize the implementation and procurement of renewable energy with a goal of powering 100% of its global operations with renewable energy by 2030. This includes data centers, offices, Akamai Accelerated Network Program partners, and any source of electricity that is Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions. If sufficient renewable energy supply is not available in regions where Akamai operates, Akamai expects to use electricity sources with verifiable and traceable renewable energy certificates to achieve its goal.

Akamai now sources 50% of its energy from renewable sources, in part through investments in new grid-connected renewable energy projects, including wind farms in Texas and Illinois and a solar farm in Virginia.

2.Improve platform energy efficiency by 50%

Akamai's largest energy use comes from operating its powerful edge platform, which consists of approximately 325,000 servers and nearly 1,435 networks in more than 135 countries around the world. Akamai's engineering team is constantly improving hardware and software efficiencies to reduce energy consumption, which not only benefits Akamai, but also benefits customers. Customers who work with Akamai benefit from reducing carbon emissions by using a shared platform to meet peak capacity needs rather than building their own. Today, Akamai announced a new goal for operating its platform to improve the platform's energy efficiency by 50% based on current total capacity.

3.Net Zero Emissions Platform

Building a net-zero Akamai edge platform requires working with data center providers and real estate owners who can provide a verifiable amount of renewable energy equal to Akamai's carbon emissions. If this is not possible, Akamai plans to reduce absolute emissions through the use of credible greenhouse gas offsets from recognized organizations such as the American Carbon Registry, the Climate Action Reserve, or through emerging carbon capture technologies. The net-zero emissions goal applies to both its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions.

4.Responsible supply chain management

Akamai expects its key suppliers to align their environmental and social goals with its own corporate goals. To this end, Akamai will develop a new responsible supply chain program. In order to achieve measurable emissions reductions by 2030, Akamai will work with key suppliers to jointly identify and quantify scope 3 emissions.

5.Expanding the implementation of 100% e-waste recycling program globally

Akamai plans to continue working towards its goal of 100% recycling of electronic waste at the end of hardware life according to the e-Stewards standard. Over the next decade, Akamai will increase the efficiency of its partner program by processing electronic waste in the country of origin, whenever feasible. All Akamai suppliers must remain committed to protecting Akamai's customers from data breaches and comply with relevant laws in their regions.

“Akamai strongly believes that businesses have a shared responsibility to protect the planet’s natural resources. These 2030 goals reflect our commitment to that belief,” said Nicole Fitzpatrick, Deputy General Counsel and Chief ESG Officer at Akamai. “In addition, Akamai recognizes that environmental consciousness is not only the right thing to do, but also makes good business sense. These five steps are designed to minimize our carbon footprint while maximizing the benefits for Akamai.”

This announcement is the second phase of Akamai’s sustainability plan. In 2015, Akamai set the following goals: by the end of 2020, we would reduce our emissions by 30%, source 50% of the energy used in our edge platform from renewable energy, and recycle 100% of our e-waste. Within the established five-year period, we achieved all of these goals. During these five years, the available capacity of Akamai’s intelligent edge platform increased by more than 350%, while reducing its energy consumption per unit of capacity to one-tenth of what it was in 2015. Akamai reduced its CO2 emissions by 24% in Asia, 33% in Japan, and 30% in Hong Kong (as shown in the figure below).

1The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Corporate Standard divides a company's GHG emissions into three "scopes". Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources that the company owns or controls. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions resulting from purchased energy. Scope 3 (Corporate Value Chain Standard) allows companies to assess the emissions impact of their entire value chain and determine where to focus emissions reduction activities. These are the emissions that a company is responsible for outside of the company - from the goods it purchases to the end-of-life treatment of the products it sells.

Akamai Sustainability Strategy

Akamai is committed to taking a leadership role in helping to minimize the environmental impact of information technology systems. The company's sustainability initiatives are designed to measure and mitigate the environmental impact of its business operations while maximizing the benefits of sustainable business practices. Sustainability programs focus on several key areas: prioritizing the purchase and use of renewable energy to power its global operations, improving the operational efficiency of the Akamai Intelligent Platform, and implementing strategies that help reduce emissions and mitigate impacts upstream and downstream across the entire supply chain lifecycle.