IBM's first formal environmental and energy corporate policies date back to 1971 and 1974 respectively, and programs supporting them have been embedded within the company's corporate wide environmental programs and global environmental management system since that time. IBM has comprehensive and multifaceted programs focused on energy efficiency and climate protection. They include:
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the company's operations by:
- Conserving energy
- Reducing perfluorocompound (PFC) emissions
- Procuring and fostering renewable energy
- Supporting alternate employee commute options
- Increasing the efficiency of the company's logistics
- Developing energy efficient products and providing diverse solutions for energy efficient data centers
- Collaborating with its clients and others on innovations that help protect the world's climate
Between 1990 and 2010, IBM saved 5.4 billion kWh of electricity consumption, avoided nearly 3.6 million metric tons of CO2 emissions (equal to 52 percent of the company's 1990 global CO2 emissions) and saved $399 million through its annual energy conservation actions.