Climate Action
Addressing climate change head-on by going carbon negative.
Aquent is serious about fighting climate change. We've always strived to make a positive difference, and reducing our environmental impact is a major priority. That's why our CEO, John H. Chuang, set an ambitious goal: to become the first major company in our industry to go carbon negative and work to erase Aquent's entire 35-year carbon footprint.
Being carbon negative means not just reducing our emissions to zero (carbon neutral) but actively removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than we produce. This is a big challenge, and it requires significant changes in how we operate. Yet it's an important step towards a healthier planet.
We've already made progress, but there's more to do. We're excited to continue this important work and help lead the way to a sustainable future.
Where we are today.
Using the EPA guidelines for calculating carbon generation, we have calculated our company's global carbon footprint (including internal staff and talent) for the past few years:
2019
Benchmark
We generated almost 12,000 tons of carbon. A substantial portion of this number is due to our staff and talent commuting to offices.
2021
59% Carbon Reduction
Since 2019In a pivotal year where we let go of many of our offices and adopted a virtual-first work environment for all our staff and most of our talent, we generated just over 4,800 tons of carbon.
2022
80% Carbon Reduction
Since 2019The first of many solar projects came online this year. Combined with our other sustainability initiatives, our carbon footprint was reduced to approximately 2,500 tons.
Real change starts with real action.
Action speaks louder than words. We're serious about going carbon negative and erasing our 35-year carbon footprint. Here's how we're making it happen:
Becoming a virtual-first workplace
Historically, our carbon footprint was driven primarily by office utilities, employee commutes, and business travel. In 2021, we reduced our office space and adopted a virtual-first work environment for all staff and most of our talent, which dramatically reduced our carbon footprint.
Building solar arrays
Instead of buying carbon credits, we are building several clean energy projects. In 2021, we began working with several partners to build solar arrays in Indiana and Ohio, which will offset two times the amount of CO2 our staff and talent generate annually worldwide.
Updating data storage and systems
We migrated our data storage to a facility in Oregon powered by renewable hydroelectric energy. This saves approximately two tons of carbon emissions annually. We've also provided staff with the latest Apple computers, which draw far fewer kilowatts per hour.