Operations
Sustainability is at the heart of how we operate our business. This includes working toward a 100% renewable energy goal, managing our use of natural resources, ensuring responsible supply chain practices, and building a more circular economy.
Targeting 100% renewable energy
81%
renewable energy use in Oracle Cloud
47%
decrease in total emissions since 2020
63%
renewable energy coverage for facilities
Emissions reduction is a key component of our sustainability strategy. Since 2015, we’ve reduced our carbon footprint on an absolute basis, despite the significant increase in our energy use resulting from the growth of Oracle Cloud.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to achieving 100% renewable energy use across our operations, aligned with the 1.5°C science-based target scenario for scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. We also aim to reduce the environmental impact of the products that we sell.
Reducing resource consumption
33
Oracle-owned buildings globally are ENERGY STAR certified
28
Oracle-owned buildings received BOMA certifications
8
Oracle-owned buildings are LEED certified
As a global company, how we manage our use of natural resources can have a huge impact. We’re always looking for ways to maximize energy efficiency and minimize water consumption and waste generation across our operations.
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Energy efficiency
We manage our facilities to the highest industry standards and are proud to have been recognized for our highly efficient, environmentally friendly buildings and operations.
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Water conservation
We pursue a variety of water-saving strategies across our facilities and data centers—including rainwater harvesting, xeriscape gardening, and condensate reclamation—to reduce our total potable water use.
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We have a robust waste management program that includes recycling and composting at our offices and raising employee awareness about responsible waste management to minimize waste to landfill.
Managing a responsible value chain
88%
of Oracle’s key direct suppliers have an environmental program in place
82%
of Oracle’s key direct suppliers have energy or carbon reduction goals in place
40%+
reduction in logistics-related emissions since 2015
We know that our purchasing decisions can have a significant social and environmental impact. Our Supplier Code of Ethics and Business Conduct requires our suppliers to observe the law and conduct business in an ethical and responsible manner. Our Supplier Responsibility Report (PDF) describes how Oracle engages with suppliers and partners to embed sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of the products we design, manufacture, deploy in our data centers, and sell. Our Sustainable Procurement Statement (PDF) affirms our ambition to incorporate sustainability into procurement processes. Purchasing specification requirements, such as ENERGY STAR and EPEAT certification, are in place to ensure the procurement of more sustainable product and service offerings. Siting policies also take into consideration environmental impacts as we look to acquire, design, and build new facilities.
Here are some of the ways we’re driving a sustainable value chain.
- Engaging with indirect and direct suppliers to report data on their carbon, water, and waste footprints.
- Working with our key suppliers to ensure alignment and identify new opportunities to reduce our environmental impact.
- Investing in educating our suppliers about our goals and expectations as we transition to a low-carbon economy as part of our net-zero goal.
- Managing, monitoring, and auditing our direct hardware supply chain as part of our membership in the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). In fiscal year 2023, 49 audits based on the RBA Code of Conduct were completed at direct hardware supplier factory locations to ensure compliance.
- Working closely with our logistics partners to minimize shipments, maximize consolidation, and take sustainability into account when selecting modes of transportation, including lower-emissions options such as bio-liquefied natural gas.
- Collaborating with our travel partners to reduce emissions from flights taken, encourage the use of public transportation, and promote lodging venues that integrate sustainability into their operations.
Read about Oracle’s adherence to environmental, health, and safety standards in the Data Hub
Recycling and reusing hardware
99.7%
of electronic waste is reused or recycled
4M+ pounds
of retired customer hardware assets are collected for recycling or reuse annually
100%
of our technology recycling partners are ISO 14001 certified
Creating a sustainable hardware lifecycle isn’t just about sourcing the right materials and getting them where they need to be as efficiently as possible; it’s also about removing resource inefficiencies across the lifecycle, reusing and repurposing materials, and keeping assets in use for as long as possible. From packaging to hardware, our Design for the Environment principles focus on recyclability, reuse, disassembly, and efficiency in the manufacturing, distribution, and use of our products.
To ensure the responsible disposal of excess and used products, we provide take back programs free of charge to our customers and suppliers. These programs help protect the environment and provide valuable services to our customers.
Internally, we provide program management for the recycling and reuse of retired office equipment, including personal computers and phones.
Read more about the Oracle Hardware Take Back and Recycling Program
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