Digital Realty Becomes First Data Center Operator to Reach One Gigawatt of IT Capacity of Sustainable Building Certifications

Rhea-AI Summary

Digital Realty has published its fourth annual ESG Report, highlighting significant advancements in sustainability. The company has reached one gigawatt of IT capacity certified under sustainable standards and achieved 64% global renewable energy coverage, marking a 14% increase from the prior year. With 100% renewable energy usage across the U.S. and European colocation portfolios, Digital Realty's efforts include 118 megawatts of new renewable energy contracts. The company is committed to reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2030, reflecting its leadership in sustainable data center operations.

Positive

• First data center operator to achieve one gigawatt of IT capacity certified by sustainable building standards.
• Achieved 64% global renewable energy coverage, an increase of 14% from 2020.
• Maintained 100% renewable energy coverage for U.S. colocation and European portfolios.
• Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% and Scope 3 emissions by 11% towards 2030 targets.

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• None.

With the publication of its fourth annual ESG Report, Digital Realty reveals progress towards environmental goals – hitting the milestone of securing one gigawatt of IT capacity in accordance with sustainable building standards

Digital Realty also achieved 64% renewable energy coverage globally, up 14% from the previous year, while maintaining 100% renewable energy usage across its European and US colocation portfolios

AUSTIN, Texas, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data centers, colocation and interconnection solutions, has today published its fourth annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report – underlining a commitment to lead the global data center industry in sustainable environmental performance.  The report demonstrates notable progress towards ESG goals, across more than 290 facilities in 50 metros across 26 countries on six continents.

Digital Realty has become the first data center operator to reach one gigawatt of IT capacity certified in accordance with sustainable building standards, after adding six new green building certifications in the U.S., U.K., and Japan in 2021.  Having certified 34 data centers under the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star Certification program (67% of its US-owned and managed portfolio), Digital Realty is also leading the industry in energy efficient building.  Digital Realty received the EPA Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its efforts in 2021.

Digital Realty achieved 64% renewable energy coverage globally in 2021, an increase of 14% from 2020 – with 100% renewable energy coverage for its U.S. colocation and Europe portfolios, as well as carbon neutrality in France.  Digital Realty also expanded its renewable portfolio and added green assets to the energy grid, contracting for 118 megawatts (MW) of solar and wind to support its data centers in Georgia and Texas, bringing the total amount of solar and wind energy under contract in the U.S. to 910 MW.

In addition, progress was made toward Digital Realty's 2030 science-based carbon reduction targets, with the business achieving a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 (direct and indirect) emissions, and an 11% reduction in Scope 3 (indirect emissions within the company's extended value chain).  By 2030, Digital Realty has committed to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 68% and Scope 3 emissions by 24% per area, from 2018 levels.

Alongside impact made through sustainable building and renewable energy sourcing initiatives, Digital Realty also completed the issuance of two additional green bonds in 2021.  Since 2015, the Company has raised more than $6 billion of green bonds through eight separate issues – Digital Realty is the leading issuer of green bonds throughout real estate investment trust (REIT) sector and the data center industry.

"The climate crisis, sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion are some of the most critical issues facing society today," comments Aaron Binkley, VP Sustainability, Digital Realty.  "How we respond to these challenges as a business is something we take extremely seriously."

"Solving them requires more ambitious thinking and radical action from governments, businesses, and consumers.  For example, harnessing the power of data can help us innovate and scale the technologies required to deliver a sustainable environment for future generations.  As data centers have become the central nervous system of the global digital economy, we have a responsibility to act.  We're proud of the work we're doing in this area, but know we need to go further, push the boundaries, and accelerate our efforts across the ESG agenda."

"As we expand our global reach and customer base in 2022 and beyond, we remain committed to leading the industry in sustainable environmental performance and being a responsible partner to our customers and employer to the people who power our business," concludes Binkley.

Additional Resources

• Press release Digital Realty contracts for 158 megawatts of new renewable energy in California and Georgia
• Press release Digital Realty EARNS Nareit's Data Center Sustainability Award for fifth consecutive year
• Press release Interxion France, first company to receive the OCEAN APPROVED® label from the Fondation de la Mer
• Press release Interxion France reduces the carbon impact of the generators in its data centers by 90% with a synthetic diesel
• Blog How Digital Realty tracks its sustainability progress
• Blog Customer first focus: Working with customers to achieve sustainability in the data center industry
• Blog Sustainability in financial services: taking action through data-centric IT infrastructure

About Digital Realty

Digital Realty supports the world's leading enterprises and service providers by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company's global data center platform, provides customers a trusted foundation and proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx™) solution methodology for scaling digital business and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty's global data center footprint gives customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with 290+ facilities in 50 metros across 26 countries on six continents. For more information, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

For Additional Information

Media Contact
Helen Bleasdale
Digital Realty
+1 (737) 267-6822
hcbleasdale@digitalrealty.com

Investor Relations
Jordan Sadler/Jim Huseby
Digital Realty
+1 737 281 0101
InvestorRelations@digitalrealty.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to our sustainability goals, certifications and strategy and potential impact from sustainability initiatives. For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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SOURCE Digital Realty

FAQ

What significant milestone did Digital Realty achieve in its ESG Report?

Digital Realty became the first data center operator to reach one gigawatt of IT capacity certified under sustainable building standards.

What was Digital Realty's renewable energy coverage in 2021?

Digital Realty achieved 64% global renewable energy coverage in 2021, a 14% improvement from 2020.

How much of its U.S. colocation and European portfolios does Digital Realty use renewable energy?

Digital Realty maintains 100% renewable energy usage across its U.S. colocation and European portfolios.

What are Digital Realty's goals for emissions reduction by 2030?

Digital Realty aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 68% and Scope 3 emissions by 24% from 2018 levels by 2030.