Equinix Highlights Latest Progress on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Commitments in Annual Sustainability Report

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May 19, 2022, 08:01 ET

The company is committed to reaching global climate neutrality by 2030 and greening the supply chains of customers who leverage its sustainable infrastructure

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure company™, has released its 2021 Sustainability Report which outlines progress, innovation and accomplishments on key environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments from the past year and since formalizing its Corporate Sustainability program in 2015. The ESG initiatives comprising Equinix's Future First strategy focus on the issues that have the greatest impact on key stakeholders and business, including diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB), and the company's commitment to becoming climate neutral globally by 2030.

ESG topics have long been an integral part of Equinix's corporate agenda and align to the material issues that impact its stakeholders, business and the world at large. New government-mandated regulations are being enacted and proposed globally, making Equinix's commitment to creating a more sustainable future for the environment and the communities it serves that much more important.

This commitment, backed by science-based targets for emissions reduction, a strategic green financing plan and a comprehensive sustainability agenda, is a critical step in advancing the company's investments and innovations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reflects the role Equinix can play in greening its customers' digital supply chains and addressing the evolving needs of key stakeholders. The company has made significant traction in meeting this commitment, with over 95% renewable coverage for its portfolio in FY21, reaching over 90% for the fourth consecutive year.

Highlights/Key Facts

Equinix has continued to make significant progress on its sustainability goals and looks to build a business that reflects its purpose to bring the world together on its platform to create innovations that will enrich our work, life and planet. Highlights from FY21 include:

Became the first company in the data center industry to commit to becoming climate neutral globally by 2030 and set science-based targets for its operations and supply chain
Reached 95% renewable energy coverage across its global data center footprint—the fourth consecutive year in which the company has achieved greater than 90% coverage
Became a founding signatory of the EU Climate Neutral Data Centre Operator Pact and Self-Regulatory Initiative, which is leading advocacy and steering the development of sustainability requirements for the EU data center industry to become climate neutral by 2030
Issued $4.9 billion of green bonds as of April 2022, making Equinix the fourth largest global issuer in the investment-grade green bond market
Received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index (CEI), ranking among the "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality"
Placed #1 in Real Estate in JUST Capital's 2022 ranking of America's most "just" companies
Beginning in 2022, Equinix became one of the first data center companies to tie executive compensation to ESG performance. By implementing a modifier to short-term incentives for VP-level employees and above, including executive officers, the company aims to hold its leaders accountable for achieving both environmental and diversity objectives

Equinix's global reach spans 70 metros across 31 countries, and customers continue to see Equinix as the best manifestation of the digital edge. Its scaled ecosystems enable proximity to the "who's who" of the digital world, with 10,000+ customers consisting of more than half the Fortune 500 and a commanding share of cloud on-ramps. Equinix's interconnection platform now consists of more than 428,000 interconnections fueling the digital economy. These advantages are strongly aligned to market trends and allow Equinix to continue to extend its market leadership.

Quotes

Keith Taylor, Chief Financial Officer, Equinix
"Our customers, partners, investors and employees are focused on sustainability more than ever. In the past year, we have seen a substantial increase in interest from customers on how Equinix helps them meet their sustainability and ESG objectives. Responding to our customers' needs is just one of the reasons we are devoted to our "Future First" sustainability strategy that outlines our key ESG initiatives and responsibilities, including diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB), science-based targets and our commitment to becoming climate neutral globally."

About Equinix
Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) is the world's digital infrastructure company, enabling digital leaders to harness a trusted platform to bring together and interconnect the foundational infrastructure that powers their success. Equinix enables today's businesses to access all the right places, partners and possibilities they need to accelerate advantage. With Equinix, they can scale with agility, speed the launch of digital services, deliver world-class experiences and multiply their value.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on Equinix's current expectations, including but not limited to statements regarding the status of its sustainability objectives and goals, its offering of green bonds, and other ESG commitments. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including market conditions, customary closing conditions and other factors. In particular, there can be no assurance that Equinix will complete the offering of the bonds. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. More information about potential risk factors that could affect Equinix and its results is included in Equinix's filings with the SEC. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

SOURCE Equinix, Inc.