Facebook Joins EU Climate Pact With Renewables Pledge

Facebook this week said it had joined the European Union’s Climate Pact and pledged to take steps toward reducing its carbon footprint. The social network outlined four ways it will work to help people “build a greener Europe.” 

• Rely completely on renewable energy sources for its operations as part of a goal reach zero net emissions by 2030.  

• Highlight authoritative research in Europe through the Climate Science Information Center, which seeks to correct common misconceptions about global warming and its effects. Facebook also will support research on climate change through its Data for Good program, which it created to “use data to address some of the world’s greatest humanitarian issues.” The program created a survey to provide insights on public attitudes about climate change. 

• Invest in education and sustainability innovation through its Data Center Community Skills program that includes the Young Entrepreneurs program in Sweden.  

• Share information to support other businesses in Europe in achieving net zero emissions. That includes a collaboration with RE-Source, a European corporate platform for renewable energy procurement, in its effort to reduce the barriers to cost competitive renewable energy and the Green Boost Program.   

Facebook’s participation in the EU Climate Pact follows other measures to help the environment. In 2018, the social network set a goal to cut its operational emissions by 75% from a year earlier. It also partnered with the nonprofit World Resources Institute and Yale University to create a Climate Conversion Map that shows how people share information about climate change or discuss it online. 

The European Commission in December created the Climate Pact to raise awareness about environmental issues and develop solutions to tackle climate change. As part of the launch, the commission invited people and organizations to become “climate pact ambassadors” who urge others to take action. 

Facebook isn’t alone among social media companies that have pledged support for environmental causes. Those recent efforts include Twitter’s launch of a “climate change” topic for people to follow as they observed World Environment Day on June 5. Pinterest last month shared survey results that showed how its users were more likely to be mindful of sustainability and to shop for environmentally friendly products.