IBM's first formal environmental and energy corporate policies date back to 1971 and 1974 respectively, and corporate-wide programs supporting them have been embedded within the company's global environmental management system since that time. IBM has been a leader in addressing climate change through our energy conservation and climate protection programs for decades.
From 1990 through 2020, IBM conserved 9.8 million megawatt-hours of energy, saving $661 million and avoiding 4.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions — equivalent to more than two times IBM's current annual energy consumption.
In February 2021, IBM announced its third successive goal for the use of renewable electricity, fifth successive goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and set a new goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically:
- Procure 75% of the electricity IBM consumes worldwide from renewable sources by 2025, and 90% by 2030.
- We include renewable electricity (a) in the grid mix IBM receives from utilities, (b) for which IBM contracts over and above what's contained in the grid mix, and (c) generated on site.
- We challenge ourselves by not counting the purchase of unbundled Renewable Energy Certificates to comprise any percent renewable if IBM cannot credibly consume the electricity those certificates represent.
Our prior goal was 55% by 2025. IBM stood at 47% at year-end 2019. - Reduce IBM's greenhouse gas emissions 65% by 2025 against base year 2010, adjusted for acquisitions and divestitures.
- This covers Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions associated with IBM's electricity consumption at co-location data centers.
- This achieves a rate of reduction that equals or exceeds what scientific recommendations from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicate is necessary to limit Earth's warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
- We challenge ourselves by not including the purchase of nature-based carbon offsets to comprise any emissions reduction.
Our prior goal was 40% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2025 against base year 2005. IBM stood at 39% at year-end 2019 against that goal. In addition to increasing our numerical target, this updated goal also expands from CO2 emissions to all greenhouse gas emissions and moves the base year for comparison from 2005 to 2010. Both of these latter adjustments increase IBM's ambition. - Reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by using feasible technologies to remove emissions in an amount which equals or exceeds IBM's residual emissions. Aim for residual emissions of 350,000 mtCO2e or less by 2030, with 90% of IBM's electricity coming from renewable sources.
- This covers Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions associated with IBM's electricity consumption at co-location data centers.
- We challenge ourselves by setting a numerical target for residual emissions.
- We anticipate new carbon removal solutions such as direct air capture and support their development with research to accelerate the discovery of enabling materials.
Our energy and emissions goals and reporting cover all activities taking place in IBM-owned or leased facilities. These facilities include IBM data centers located in facilities managed by third parties where IBM does not procure the energy or control the operations of the buildings — also known as co-location data centers.