What’s Good For Data Centers is Good for the Planet

At Wasabi, we proudly represent disruption as we champion new ways to think about legacy operations, just like how we’ve disrupted the cloud storage industry by offering an alternative to the hyperscalers. This philosophy directly informs our brand values as well as our business decision making. Central to our philosophy as a brand is the idea that the technology sector should be a leader in the fight against global climate change. Data centers are especially primed for a green makeover, as they produce as much CO2 as the airline industry. Wasabi is committed to being a part of this initiative through strategic partnerships with other like-minded organizations. As such, we only partner with data center providers that operate with high energy efficiency standards and clean and renewable energy to support our global footprint. Our partners are leaders in data center sustainability and are working consciously to minimize their carbon footprint and reduce energy consumption.

Wasabi’s two data centers in Virginia are hosted by Iron Mountain and Digital Realty. Both brands have committed to utilizing 100% renewable sources of energy as part of their corporate responsibility goals.

Iron Mountain committed to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2050 as part of the Paris Climate Accords. In 2018, 69% of energy use company-wide was from renewable sources, up from 30% the previous year. In 2019, renewable energy covered 100% of their Data Center operations worldwide, even amid rapid growth. Wasabi was recently featured in a case study video for Iron Mountain where our CEO David Friend espoused their security practices as well as their brand values.

Digital Realty is one of the top 100 buyers of renewable energy in the country and was recognized by the EPA for their efforts. In 2018, 30% of the company’s total energy use came from renewable sources, including two data centers in California which transitioned to 100% hydroelectric power and two US colocation business units using 100% wind power.

Equinix, Wasabi’s data center provider in Europe, offset over 90% of their global energy use with renewable resources. The rooftops of many of their data centers are covered with vegetation, cooling the building and preventing runoff which can carry pollutants to nearby lakes and rivers.

Wasabi’s data center partner in Japan, NTT, has similarly committed to reducing their carbon footprint. The telecom giant is focused on a variety of initiatives to combat climate change including increased energy efficiency, reduced emissions, and instituting a recycling program. The fact that a Fortune 100 company was so concerned with the environmental impact of their business operations made our decision to partner with them that much easier.

As Wasabi continues to grow, we will continue to seek out partners who embody our ideals of sustainability and responsibility. Our partners are technology leaders delivering excellent service to their customers while working to reduce their carbon footprint.