Facebook said it has achieved its goal of powering its global operations entirely with renewable energy. The company is now focusing its efforts on the broader goal of achieving net zero emissions across its entire “supply chain” by 2030, including suppliers and business operations such as employee travel and commuting.
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Facebook's plans to switch to 100% renewable energy were first revealed in 2018, as Big Tech sought to offset the environmental impact of its business growth in a global push to tackle climate change. Two years earlier, the Paris Climate Agreement saw 143 countries, including Greece, commit to keeping global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
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Google, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon have all adopted environmental goals and spent billions to adopt renewable energy to eliminate carbon emissions. But their rampant growth, coupled with pressure from investors who monitor environmental, social and governance outcomes, means that maintaining these commitments requires a delicate balance between them.
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For its part, Facebook has committed $8 billion to green energy projects, including 63 new wind and solar power plants. The social network has contracts for more than 6 GW of wind and solar power, which is slightly less than Amazon’s 6.5 GW investment, making the online retailer the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy.
Facebook's milestone coincides with Earth Day. To mark the occasion, it is launching volunteer signups for environmental organizations on its eponymous social network.
