We’ve published our first ever Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report as part of our commitment to showcase our sustainability journey on an annual basis. 

We needed to establish a baseline from which to track our ESG progress going forward. In this report, we have set our carbon emissions baseline using our 2022 figures and drawn on data and activities from 1 January to 31 December 2023. This establishes a benchmark for future comparisons and has been informed by globally recognised reporting frameworks.  

Introducing the report, our CEO, Paul Cossell, provides a market overview and summary of where ESG fits into our wider strategy. ‘With change comes opportunity,’ he explains, describing the growth in demand for data center capacity and the impact of AI as ‘a chance for our industry to put sustainability at the heart of how we work as we meet this increasing demand for capacity.’  

Paul also reiterates our target of net zero for scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030, while also working with the value chain to drive down scope 3 emissions. 

Milestones towards our mission
Among the milestones we have reached over the past year, the report references signing the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact and completing the double materiality assessment (an assessment that evaluates financial and environmental/social impacts on a company and its impact on society/environment), along with the sustainability-focused associations and memberships we have at Yondr, and the ISO accreditations we have achieved.  

The report goes into detail about the diverse areas of our operations where we are making progress with our ESG goals, including power usage effectiveness (PUE), carbon management, water management, biodiversity, circularity, and social impact, providing case studies to bring to life how we’re making a difference. 

Highlighted ESG achievements include: 

• 147% biodiversity net gain at our Slough site 

• Adopting the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a sustainable alternative to diesel in our backup generators where available 

• Externally verified our annual carbon footprint to ISAE 3000 since 2021 

• 190+ volunteer hours completed by the Yondr team during 2023 

• More than 300 students supported through our partnership with the Active Learning Education Trust (ALET) 

• Our first women in engineering scholarship awarded at Queen’s University Belfast 

 

The bigger picture
Our ESG Report demonstrates how we are putting ESG at the heart of Yondr, detailing our plans and achievements in the context of our wider business operations and ambitions.   

ESG is a journey, and we are still in the foothills of the trek we have in our sights. Our first ever ESG Report is an important milestone on that journey; it not only establishes base camp, but also maps our route to reach the summit. The path is challenging, but we believe it is achievable and we look forward to sharing the steps we’re taking with stakeholders as we progress. 

View the report here.