Using Our Environmental Management System to Create a Sustainable Future
In today's world, natural resources are finite and the impacts of climate change are devastating communities worldwide through more extreme and frequent flooding, droughts, severe storms, heat waves, wildfires, and more. Businesses must therefore take proactive steps to mitigate their impact on the planet and their dependencies on nonrenewable resources.
At Akamai, we recognize the critical importance of environmental stewardship and have implemented a robust environmental management system (EMS) aligned with ISO 14001 standards to manage and reduce our environmental impact. We designed our EMS uniquely for Akamai and developed it as a system for change within our organization.
Our EMS serves as the foundation of our commitment to sustainability, guiding us toward a future in which our operations not only meet our current needs but also are sustainable in the long term and contribute positively to the world around us.
Understanding our impact
Akamai relies on natural resources to power our operations and deliver seamless online experiences to our customers. However, not all these resources are renewable, and their unsustainable use poses risks to both the environment and our business. From energy and water use to greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation, every aspect of our resource consumption has consequences that must be carefully managed.
To address these challenges, we have undertaken a comprehensive assessment of our resource use, identifying key environmental aspects and their impacts. This includes a deep analysis of our energy consumption, waste generation, emissions, and general resource use across our value chain. By understanding the full scope of our environmental footprint, we can better identify areas for improvement and minimize our adverse effects on the planet.
Managing risks and expectations
In addition to assessing our environmental impact, we are committed to managing our risks and meeting the needs and expectations of our stakeholders. This includes engaging with employees, suppliers, customers, investors, and regulatory bodies to understand their concerns and priorities. By aligning our environmental objectives with stakeholder expectations, we can build trust, foster collaboration, and drive positive change both within our organization and beyond.
Our EMS provides the framework for managing these risks and expectations, setting clear goals, and implementing strategies to achieve them. This includes establishing processes for environmental performance reviews, compliance monitoring, incident management, and continuous improvement. Our daily use of the EMS’s tools sets us on track to achieve our 2030 goals and comply with mandatory climate disclosures.
Empowering employees for change
I believe that sustainability is everyone's responsibility. At Akamai, we encourage all employees to actively engage in our EMS and contribute to its success. Whether it's identifying risks, finding opportunities for improvement, or implementing efficiency projects, everyone has a role to play in mitigating our environmental impact and conserving resources across our value chain.
By fostering a culture of environmental awareness and empowerment, we can harness our collective efforts of OneAkamai to drive meaningful change. Together, we can conserve energy, reduce waste, avoid emissions, and mitigate environmental risks, ensuring a more sustainable future for generations to come.
A net-positive impact for a sustainable future
Ultimately, Akamai’s commitment to environmental management goes beyond mere compliance; it's about making a net-positive impact on the world. By embracing sustainability and integrating it into our business practices, we can not only sustain our operations for the long term but also fulfill Akamai's broader sustainability mission of harnessing the power of Akamai Connected Cloud to create a sustainable and equitable future for the world.
Through our EMS, we are not only working to reduce our environmental footprint but also preparing for current and future risks and regulations. We strive to be transparent in our impact and accountable to our commitments, driving stakeholder satisfaction and confidence and fostering a sense of purpose and pride among our employees.
As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability, we are undergoing a global third-party audit of our EMS to receive ISO 14001 attestation. This audit will not only validate our efforts and conformity with the ISO 14001 standard but also provide valuable insights for further enhancing our EMS.
Join us in creating a sustainable future
Please follow us on Akamai’s journey to achieve our 2030 objectives and continuously improve our environmental performance — and, more important, please join us in creating a sustainable future within your respective organization and community.
We hope to inspire action with the confidence that we can change our organizations and world for the betterment of our lives and the viability of the planet for generations to come.