QTS Publishes Annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report
Expands commitment to social responsibility while making strong progress towards goal of procuring 100% of its power from carbon-free sources
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- QTS Data Centers, a leading provider of hybrid colocation and mega scale data center solutions, today announced it has published its 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report.
Available online here, the 2021 ESG Report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) real estate standards and aligns with the guidance of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
Named by Newsweek as one of America's most responsible companies in 2021, QTS expanded its commitment to social responsibility particularly in the areas of giving back to the community, supporting diversity and implementing success-based giving programs.
- QTS' Grow with QTS program has donated more than 50,000 trees planted across the United States to help with fire restoration, restore stripped mineland and restore forests and animal habitats.
- QTS' HumanKIND program delivers clean water in impoverished communities in need and has provided access to drinking water to over 11,000 people globally for a year.
- QTS has partnered with the U.S. Dream Academy to sponsor children of incarcerated parents in after-school programs that aim to break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration. In 2021, QTS sponsored 18 children in the U.S. Dream Academy.
Additionally, in 2021, QTS employees donated over 4,300 volunteer hours to various communities (the highest annual amount of hours contributed in the history of the QTS Community Impact program), and provided over 130 different organizations with charitable contributions amounting to over $1.7 million.
"We have made strong progress in establishing QTS as an industry leader through our innovative sustainability initiatives," said Chad Williams, CEO of QTS. "QTS' long-standing Core Values have established the foundation of our corporate sustainability program which prioritizes a servant leadership culture in the stewardship of our company, customers, partners and communities. As our business continues to grow, our responsibility to positively impact those around us will also grow. We look forward to this opportunity and will continue to challenge our organization in the pursuit of our cultural goals with purpose and transparency."
QTS' ESG report documents the Company's vision of enhancing the care and improvement of life and minimizing its carbon footprint through technology, manpower and advanced construction and procurement initiatives. Based on progress and success in 2021, the Company has updated its environmental goals as follows:
- Procure 100% of its power from carbon-free energy sources. In 2021, QTS made strong progress on its commitment to renewable energy procurement which includes the signing of a definitive 20-year agreement with Georgia Power subscribing to nearly 350 megawatts of new renewable energy to be added to the power grid supporting its Atlanta-Metro and Suwanee Georgia data center campuses. Factoring in this agreement, which takes effect in 2024, QTS has met its original goal with more than 100% of its 2018 baseline power being supported by renewable sources. QTS has set a goal of procuring carbon-free energy to support each new data center site that it develops, balancing the time to establish agreements that have the best outcomes for all of its stakeholders. As its portfolio grows, QTS will continue to make sustainable decisions for procuring carbon-free energy at all of its facilities.
- Portfolio-wide annual water-use effectiveness (WUE) reduction of 5%. QTS has achieved its initial water goal and on average QTS has conserved 15 million gallons of water annually since 2016. The Company is proud of its accomplishments in water conservation, and as the portfolio grows, QTS is adjusting its water conservation metric to enhance the tracking of its impact and efficiency. Going forward, the Company aims to measure year-over-year improvement in WUE.
- Report to GRESB, CDP, EcoVadis, RE100 and the EPA Green Power Partnership. Though QTS is no longer a public company and will not be measured by certain public ratings groups, QTS will continue to pursue a goal of transparency in reporting ESG data by voluntarily reporting to those respected institutions.
- Design 100% of QTS buildings to Green Building Standards and Energy Star certifications for all eligible properties. Shifting to meet the needs of its growing footprint, QTS will continue to design to green building standards, supporting its commitment to continually enhance energy efficiency at all of its existing and new buildings.
- Install EV charging stations at 75% of QTS' facilities by 2025. QTS achieved the original goal of installing EV charging stations at 75% of its facilities. This has been an especially successful program with QTS customers, communities and employees. Now that the Company has now accomplished this goal, it will incorporate the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations in the standard design for all new buildings.
- Recycle 90% of its operational waste by 2025. At the end of 2021, QTS had recycled over 1.7 billion pounds of material and recycled 74.5% of its operational waste. Waste and materials usage are becoming larger topics in the industry's sustainability efforts, QTS is diligently approaching its waste tracking and recycling through site level programs and new initiatives.
QTS was acquired by Blackstone (NYSE: BX) in 2021. Eric Duchon, Global Head of ESG for Blackstone Real Estate, and Greg Blank, Senior Managing Director in Blackstone's Infrastructure business, said, "Blackstone is proud of the incredible work our portfolio companies are doing to support a stronger, more sustainable economy, which we believe also enhances their value. We look forward to continuing to work with QTS as they execute on their commitment to reduce carbon emissions, contributing to a more resilient, cleaner energy future, while giving back to the communities in which they operate."
About QTS Data Centers
QTS Data Centers, LLC is a leading provider of data center solutions across a diverse footprint spanning more than 9 million square feet of owned mega scale data center space within North America and Europe. Through its software-defined technology platform, QTS is able to deliver secure, compliant infrastructure solutions, robust connectivity and premium customer service to leading hyperscale technology companies, enterprises, and government entities. QTS is a Blackstone portfolio company. Visit QTS at www.qtsdatacenters.com, call toll-free 877.QTS.DATA or follow on Twitter @DataCenters_QTS.
Media Contact:
Carter B. Cromley
(703) 861-7245
[email protected]
SOURCE QTS Realty Trust, Inc.
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