Technology companies based in the United States are responsible for driving efficiencies through the domestic economy and also fostering a spirit and ethos of innovation that has been the envy of the world. The record of technology companies in the environment has historically been spotty. There is a sense in the industry that we really haven’t seen a heavy focus on carbon emissions because the tech sector often doesn’t have a large manufacturing footprint. With that being said, the companies that will be discussed in this article have made significant commitments to an environmentally-friendly ethos. It is this commitment that drives movement in the industry and is something that is a model for smaller technology companies that often emulate the titans of their own industry.
Alphabet is the parent company of Google and they have been consistently conscious of the environmental impact that they have. They have made a pledge to use one hundred per cent renewable energy going forward. The impact of this commitment on the environment is staggering. It will take out of the atmosphere five million tonnes of carbon emissions at a cost of billions of dollars of capital investment. They have sometimes been criticized for not truly following their mantra of “do no evil”, but in the case of the environment, they are truly putting their money where their mouth is and will continue to be an innovative leader in the industry while not compromising the environment. The article below highlights Google’s efforts as well as a few others when it comes to making a commitment to being carbon neutral now and into the future. This list is the top five greenest technology companies and how they are impacting the future of the world through carbon emission reduction.
Apple has a staggering breadth of stores, manufacturing sites and data centres. The fact that Apple has historically had issues around human rights is undeniable. However, as a Company, they have taken significant strides towards becoming a Company that reduces waste and heads up a number of major initiatives that will help the world get cleaner water. Apple has an enormous impact on the world and it also has enormous financial resources. They will always be held to a higher standard than most companies strictly due to their size and visibility. They won’t always get things right, but their commitment to the environment should be applauded and if they are consistently being a good corporate citizen it will have an immensely positive impact on the environment. Apple is a company that has a very prevalent environmental presence.
Microsoft has continually been building data centres to support their Azure cloud division that has become a major player in the industry. Those data centres are currently running on sixty per cent renewable energy and by 2023 they will achieve seventy per cent renewable energy running those data centres. This is a significant achievement and it means that much of its growth will be driven by renewable energy. The cloud data centre environment is the biggest area of growth and it should be focused on when looking at environmental impacts of the technology industry.
The three companies that were discussed above show that the leaders of the technology industry are taking great care of the environment and are taking significant, tangible steps to improve the environment in the next few years. There is still much work to be done, but the commitment to the environment that is highlighted above is really important and sets the tone for the rest of the companies in the industry.
