Report highlights new sustainability achievements and milestones in 2023
CyrusOne, a leading global data center developer and operator specializing in delivering state-of-the-art digital infrastructure solutions, today published its 2024 Sustainability Report. The report underscores the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship, community engagement, and stakeholder transparency through a series of global sustainability initiatives. This fifth annual report provides comprehensive insights into CyrusOne’s ongoing efforts to construct and operate data centers that support a sustainable future.
“I am incredibly proud of our team’s achievements over the past year,” said Eric Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of CyrusOne. “Our mission to build sustainable data centers is more critical than ever as we navigate the rapid advancements in AI and other digital technologies. Our sustainability progress demonstrates our dedication to environmental responsibility, benefiting not only our customers but also our employees and the broader communities in which we operate.”
2023 marked a significant year of progress and acceleration for CyrusOne, with notable accomplishments in various sustainability areas.
Key Highlights of the CyrusOne 2024 Sustainability Report:
- Customer Sustainability Reports: In 2023, CyrusOne provided its customers with individualized reports detailing their share of key environmental metrics (GHG emissions, water, and fuel consumption), aiding them in delivering accurate sustainability disclosures.
- Decoupling Business Growth from Carbon Emissions: CyrusOne’s 2023 Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions were 4.7% lower than they were in 2018, even as business activity (measured by overall energy usage) more than doubled.
- Successful CNDCP Audit: CyrusOne became the first signatory of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact to have all fully operational data centers in Europe comply with the Pact’s reporting terms.
- Green Building Initiatives: The company is committed to achieving BREEAM certification at all standard new facilities in Europe and LEED certification at all standard new facilities in the U.S.
- Investing in Biodiversity: In 2023, CyrusOne received NWF Wildlife Habitat certification for its two largest data center campuses in Arizona and Northern Virginia, dramatically increasing the percentage of land certified to support native plants and wildlife.
- Improving Operational Circularity: CyrusOne implemented a company-wide initiative to address operational waste, resulting in an overall diversion rate of 46%, more than double that in 2022.
- Net Positive Water: In 2023, CyrusOne added its Phoenix (PHX8) and San Antonio (SAT1) facilities to its net positive water portfolio. The company now restores more water than they use at 12 facilities, plus the US headquarters in Texas.
- Renewable Electricity: The Omaha – Council Bluffs (OCB1) data center became CyrusOne’s twelfth facility to operate on 100% renewable electricity through participation in MidAmerican’s GreenAdvantage® program.
Kyle Myers, Vice President of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability at CyrusOne, emphasized the company’s ongoing commitment: “In 2024, we anticipate further advancements in all our environmental pillars as we progress towards Climate Neutral by 2030, expand our net positive water portfolio in high-stress regions, explore biodiversity impacts, and expect to achieve our first TRUE Zero Waste Certification driven by expansive recycling efforts.”
The CyrusOne 2024 Sustainability Report aligns with four third-party standards, adhering to The Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) guidance, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
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