In a new report, Facebook has pledged to power its global operations with 100% renewable energy, as well as reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by the year 2020.

Facebook is already one of the biggest corporate purchasers of renewable energy. Since its first purchase of wind power in 2013, in the last 12 months alone the social media giant has signed contracts for over three gigawatts of new solar and wind energy, which includes just over 2,500 megawatts.

This renewable energy programme is not only having a positive impact on the environment, but on local communities as well. All Facebook’s wind and solar projects are on the same grid as its data centres, meaning the new projects are creating jobs, investment and a healthier environment for the communities in which they’re located, including Prineville, Oregon, and Los Lunas, New Mexico, Henrico, Virginia, and Luleå, Sweden.

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With a view to push the energy market forward, Facebook doesn’t intend to keep these resources for itself, using its position to build an infrastructure which will enable other organisations to access renewable energy. It is also opening its projects to other buyers, as well as establishing green tariffs which allow customers to buy renewable energy from local authorities.

Sustainable success

In 2015 Facebook set a goal of supporting 50% of its facilities with renewable energy by 2018. This goal was achieved a year early, reaching 51% clean and renewable energy in 2017.

Last year, Facebook cemented its role in climate action by supporting the Paris Agreement through the We Are Still In initiative. The targets shared in the company’s recent report are cited to be part of this initiative.

For more information, please visit www.sustainability.fb.com