A renewable future

In 2015 we used 6,291,628 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity to power our offices and data centres, resulting in the emission of 2,317 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Our strategy for addressing this portion of our greenhouse gas footprint involves both energy efficiency measures to reduce our use and investments in on- and off-site renewable electricity. In April of 2016, we committed to being powered by 100% renewable electricity by 2020. We began to lay the groundwork for this ambitious goal in 2015.

Some of the key actions we took to move us towards our 2020 goal included working with landlords and data centre providers to explore the procurement of both on- and off-site renewable electricity. At the site of our future global headquarters in Brooklyn, we’ve built a small rooftop solar array to power a portion of our building operations. In addition, we’re exploring local, off-site solar projects to address the remainder of our office’s electricity needs. At our data centres we made renewables a priority in contract negotiations. Etsy signed a multi-year contract in which our data centre provider, CoreSite, committed to powering Etsy’s data operations with electric power generated entirely from renewable energy sources within four years. By making renewables a binding priority, Etsy has incentivised CoreSite to seek solutions that fit our needs in order to retain our business.

At Etsy, we recognise our impact can extend beyond the boundaries of our own operations and marketplace to our community and to other companies and organisations. To drive further innovation and positive change in renewable energy, we’ve joined three industry working groups: Business for Social Responsibility’s Future of Internet Power, the Rocky Mountain Institute Business Renewables Center and the Corporate Renewable Energy Buyers' Principles. By participating in these working groups, we’re able to learn from our peers as well as help drive large-scale change in the world.

In 2015, 19% of our electricity in our offices and data centres came from renewable sources. We both actively purchase renewables through local energy providers and tap into renewables that are part of the power grid mix already being offered in cities where we’re located. This number is up 10 percentage points from 2014, which we largely attribute to switching to renewable options provided by our utility companies in our Hudson and Dublin offices and increased utilisation of Sabey, our carbon neutral, hydro-powered data centre. While we don’t retain the renewable energy certificates from green energy purchased through our suppliers, sending the message to our utility companies that we actively support renewable options is a priority for us.

Note: Etsy has selected sustainability metrics to receive limited assurance in accordance with attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. For more information, refer to the English version of our 2015 Progress Report.