CyrusOne, a premier global data centre real estate investment trust (REIT), has published its 2020 Sustainability Report, highlighting progress toward its sustainability goals and the company’s emphasis on building data centres designed for a sustainable future. The annual report also focuses on CyrusOne’s responsibilities to the community and its stakeholders, showcasing how the company is fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace and appropriately aligning incentives.
“As one of the largest colocation data centre companies in the world, we have a responsibility to reduce the environmental impact that our facilities create and provide solutions compatible with a sustainable future,” said Bruce W. Duncan, President and Chief Executive Officer at CyrusOne. “Our goal at CyrusOne is to empower our customers with creative solutions that help them scale new technology solutions while reducing our collective environmental footprint.”
The CyrusOne 2020 Sustainability Report shares sustainability progress and initiatives, encompassing energy and carbon, water, habitat, social responsibility and corporate governance. Highlights include:
- Energy-efficient building design: The soon-to-be-completed Council Bluffs I data centre incorporates CyrusOne’s standardised build with many energy-efficient features. Upon completion, the site will achieve low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), without depleting local water supplies.
- Carbon zero by 2040: As some first steps on CyrusOne’s journey to zero carbon emissions, its London I, London II, London III and Amsterdam data centres are running on 100% renewable energy, delivering sustainable infrastructure to customers globally.
- Net-positive water in high-stress regions: CyrusOne’s largest colocation data centre campus in Chandler, Arizona, is located in an extremely high water-stressed area. CyrusOne restored 40% more water than the facility used in 2019, creating a net addition of water to the community.
- On-site habitat improvement: CyrusOne’s Dublin location incorporates a landscape design focused on creating areas of grassland, wildflower meadows and pollinator-friendly wetlands with an emphasis on native plant species.
- Health, safety and wellness: CyrusOne has robust programmes in place to help improve the health and wellbeing of employees and local communities. This dedication has resulted in a Recordable Injury Rate (RIR) for 2019, that was 1/3 of industry peers, and Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) came in at 40% better than the industry average.
“With our initial Sustainability Report, we focused on transparency, taking a comprehensive view in evaluating our environmental footprint,” said Kyle Myers, Director of Environmental Health, Safety and Sustainability at CyrusOne. “Traditionally, the industry focus is on PUE, without taking the massive water usage needed to offset this number into consideration, which is why we place a high emphasis on all types of natural resources to evaluate a comprehensive global impact.”
The CyrusOne 2020 Sustainability Report provides disclosure compatible with three third-party standards, adhering to The Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TFCD) recommendations, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) guidance.
