Expedia Group 2021 Global Impact Report: Climate Action
Expedia Group 2021 Global Impact Report
Through the dedication of everyone at Expedia Group – and a combination of internal emission reductions, renewable energy credits (RECs), and verified carbon offsets – we achieved carbon neutral status in 2017. It’s something we have proudly maintained to this day. Now, we are looking further, exploring opportunities to align our business with a Net Zero future.
A MORE EFFICIENT EXPEDIA GROUP
To minimize our impact, we must find ways to do more with less. Whether it’s making the switch to LED lighting or transferring data storage to cloud-based systems, we are continually pursuing better, more efficient ways to power operations.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
The first step to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is understanding our current impact. We annually calculate and report our emissions, helping track year-over-year changes and are creating a transparent, publicly available record of efforts.
As it was for so many other companies, 2021 was a complicated year in terms of our operational carbon footprint. While some of our office spaces remained closed to ensure employee safety, utilities had to remain running to keep facilities functioning. At no point during the year were we operating with 100% of employees back in office as we did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result our total emissions in 2021 were similar to those of 2020, and only 35% of what they were in 2019.
For the first time in 2021, we measured and offset the emissions generated by operating our software and websites in data centers and the cloud. As a travel tech company, this is a critical part of our operations, and we will be working in partnership with our cloud service providers and fellow customers to seek additional pathways for greening the internet in the years to come.
As we return to a 50% hybrid work model in 2022, we will be assessing and updating our emission baselining in line with science and best practice, and looking ahead to deeper emission reductions and climate action.
- 2017
carbon neutral operations since 2017 - 100%
In 2021, Expedia Group purchased renewable electricity equivalent to 100% of its global office consumption
TACKLING THE FOOTPRINT OF OUR TECHNOLOGIES
Over the past two years, Expedia Group has ensured the recycling or reuse or over 11,000 pieces of data center hardware. We have also reduced the total power consumption of our data centers by 3,874 KW through increases in efficiency.
We plan to achieve an additional 3,520 KW in reductions by the end of 2023, all while growing traffic to our websites, apps, platforms, and partners.
