Good news everyone! The Green Web Foundation has verified UpCloud as a Green Web Provider. This means that anyone hosting their website on UpCloud can use the Foundation’s Green Web Check to confirm that their site is run on renewable/carbon compensated energy.
The Green Web Foundation is an independent non-profit that tracks how much of the internet runs on green energy, and is actively working towards a fossil-free internet by 2030. Since 2006, the Foundation has maintained the world’s only open Green Web Dataset, tracking which hosting companies provide services running on 100% green energy. This dataset is widely cited and used, especially in tools which estimate the CO2 emissions of digital services – everyday it runs more than 7 million checks!
What is a verified green hosting provider?
Verified green hosting providers are organisations that can demonstrate they are taking steps to avoid, reduce, or offset the greenhouse gas emissions caused by using electricity to provide their services.
The Green Web Foundation runs a rigorous verification process, and verified providers need to produce yearly evidence of their environmental performance.
Why does this matter?
More than 5.9 billion people use the internet every day, with that number predicted to swell to 6.9 billion by 2029. But our connectivity comes with a cost. According to a recent MIT Report:
The Cloud now has a greater carbon footprint than the airline industry. A single data center can consume the equivalent electricity of 50,000 homes.
This is why UpCloud is committed to reducing our GHG emissions with the ambition of meeting the 1.5 degree scenario, as presented by IPCC8 (November 2018).
Currently, 70% of our data centers run on renewable energy and we’re actively working to increase that percentage. Last year we found that our biggest carbon footprint was data centre hardware purchases, so this year we’re looking closely into our hardware lifecycle management. We will also aim to improve the energy source visibility for our customers, to help you make more informed choices and join our journey towards a more sustainable cloud.
Have a look at our 2024 Environment, Sustainability, and Governance Report for more details on our performance and the ways in which we’re dedicated to improving the world around us.
