WeTransfer turns to offsets to achieve carbon-neutral certification

Digital file transferring service WeTransfer has confirmed it has achieved carbon neutral status, following a pledge to reduce emissions by 30% by 2025 that was set last year.


WeTransfer turns to offsets to achieve carbon-neutral certification

The projects chosen by WeTransfer are linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and meet Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard certifications

WeTransfer’s carbon emissions were measured and verified by the Climate Neutral Group and Sustainalize. Once the source and scale of emissions were sourced, the two groups supported WeTransfer in reaching carbon neutral status.

The majority of this approach to carbon neutrality is covered by offsets, although WeTransfer is also aiming to reduce emissions by 30% by 2025.

The 30% reduction target is set against a 2019 baseline, but WeTransfer notes that the majority of its emissions are linked to energy consumption from data centres, but that data quality on the subject is low. As such, WeTransfer is calling for cloud providers to link the energy consumption from data centres to the usage of individual companies. The organisation hopes this will help breakdown energy consumption and enable more companies to act.

As for the offsetting, the projects chosen by WeTransfer are linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and meet Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard certifications. Projects include building capacity for biogas in Uganda and wind energy in countries including India.

WeTransfer’s chief executive Gordon Willoughby said: “If we’re to encourage the next wave of innovation by cloud-enabled businesses, the journey towards becoming a greener technology business and achieving net-zero as a baseline should be far more straightforward.

“We want to see greater transparency from the whole technology supply chain, but also more collaboration between the major global businesses in our industry if we’re to stand a chance of addressing the evident cloud blindspot and giving internet users the clarity they are clamouring for”.

B Corp

Last year, WeTransfer joined more than 3,000 other businesses including the likes of Ben & Jerry’s, The Body Shop and Cook in achieving B Corp certification.

The company has helped to raise millions of dollars to abolish medical debt for low-income LA residents and donated more than $300m (£236m) in advertising inventory to organisations campaigning for causes such as better gun control, digital literacy and human rights.

Given that the business, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Amsterdam, is still growing at a pace, it has committed to conducting an audit to establish what “responsible” growth – growing while maintaining or improving progress across environmental and social focus areas – looks like, and how this can be ensured.

The growth audit will be carried out in partnership wit DotEveryone, a think tank working to champion responsible technology. DotEveryone’s founder Baroness Martha Lane Fox is notably the new chair of WeTransfer’s board of directors.

Matt Mace

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