ARTICLE

QTS Publishes Second Annual Environmental, Social and Governance Initiatives Report

Jul 21, 2020
7 min read

Overland Park, Kan. (July 22, 2020)

QTS Realty Trust (NYSE: QTS), a leading provider of hybrid colocation and mega scale data center solutions, today announced it has published its GRI compliant 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Initiatives Report.

Available online here, the report, prepared by the QTS Sustainability Leadership team provides a comprehensive summary and progress report on QTS’ approach to sustainable business practices that are highly important to its stakeholders and business.

“QTS is fully committed to sustainable business practices backed by transparency and accountability,” said Chad Williams, Chief Executive Officer, QTS. “We are taking a leadership role by measuring and publishing our progress achieving key ESG milestones, including our commitment to procure 100% of our power requirements from renewable energy sources by 2025.”

QTS’ legacy of corporate sustainability can be traced back to early initiatives to redevelop large scale infrastructure into world-class data centers, providing a significant opportunity to recycle existing materials. Over the years these initiatives expanded into business practices aligned around a company culture that is Powered by People. The report documents the Company’s vision of enhancing the care and improvement of human life and minimizing our carbon footprint through technology, manpower and advanced construction and procurement initiatives.

In 2019, the company published its inaugural ESG report that featured measurable, relevant and timely targets to reduce carbon footprint, support the clean energy industry, improve the lives of QTS’ stakeholders, and optimize its business results. Based on progress and success in 2019, the company has updated its environmental goals in the 2020 report as follows:

  • Procure 100% of our power from renewable energy sources by 2025.

    As of 2019, QTS procured 32% of our energy from renewable sources, and in 2020 the company expects that percentage to increase.

  • Pursue LEED certification in 90% of facilities by 2025.

    As of 2019, 50% of QTS’ facilities are LEED certified, and the Company is exploring additional green building certifications that align with QTS’ sustainable business initiatives.

  • Conserve at least 15 million gallons of water per year.

    QTS annually reclaims millions of gallons of water using advanced rainwater collection systems along with additional savings from water reclamation systems. In 2017, QTS set a goal to conserve at least 10 million gallons of water per year. Because it achieved this goal in both 2018 and 2019 it is increasing the goal to 15 million gallons of water annually going forward.

  • Install EV charging stations at 75% of our facilities by 2025.

    In two years, QTS reached its initial goal of installing EV charging stations at 30% of its facilities. QTS’ new target is to install EV charging stations at 75% of its facilities by 2025.

  • Recycle 90% of QTS’ operational waste by 2025.

    QTS’ sustainability strategy includes redeveloping brownfield properties and transforming them into state-of-the-art data centers. To date, QTS has recycled over 1.2 billion pounds of material. Rather than focus on the pounds it has recycled, QTS is shifting its focus and has set a target to recycle 90% of our operational waste by 2025.

    “I believe ESG has accelerated as key stakeholders recognize that the long-term viability of any company is, in part, predicated on its commitment to serving something greater than ourselves as we care about each other, our customers and our communities,” Williams said. “While growth and profitability are clearly important to our business, QTS has always fostered a culture that enables our employees to pursue excellence and positively impact each other and our communities. This emphasis on serving others is and always has been equally critical to our long-term strategy.”

Other highlights

About QTS

QTS Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: QTS) is a leading provider of data center solutions across a diverse footprint spanning more than 7 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. Visit QTS at www.qtsdatacenters.com, call toll-free 877.QTS.DATA or follow on Twitter @DataCenters_QTS.

Tags

Related Resources

Becoming one of the fastest growing data center companies was no accident. Our innovative thinkers are the go-to sources for the latest information in data service space.

News Article
Dec 2, 2024
Avangrid and Portland General Electric Collaborate with QTS and Meta to Build 120 MWac Solar Project in Oregon
Developed by Avangrid and now under construction, the Tower Solar project will deliver energy to Portland General Electric’s Green...
Media Coverage
Dec 2, 2024
Chicago planning officials give QTS green light for campus expansion
QTS has been given the initial green light to expand its data center campus in Chicago, Illinois. First reported by Urbanize, Chic...
News Article
Nov 8, 2024
QTS Releases Annual Sustainability Report
Underscores QTS’s commitment to environmental and community stewardship through sustainability initiatives and success-based givin...
News Article
Aug 19, 2024
QTS Data Centers Announces Support of the Greater Manassas Baseball League for the Second Year in a Row
QTS Data Centers (QTS) today announced it has continued its partnership with the Greater Manassas Baseball League by contributing ...
Media Coverage
Jul 30, 2024
Southern Conservation Trust Launches Tree Planting Initiative with QTS as Part of Greater Atlanta Data Center Development Project
The Southern Conservation Trust (SCT) has announced a new partnership with QTS Data Centers, a leading provider of data centers so...
Media Coverage
Jul 4, 2024
Building the sustainable data centre
While water cooling remains a popular method for lowering data centre temperatures, it requires millions of gallons of water each ...