Global Matters

Earth Day update: Visa and its 100% renewable electricity commitment

By Douglas Sabo, Vice President and Head of Corporate Responsibility & Philanthropy

 

As the world marked the 48th annual Earth Day on April 22, Visa celebrated its contributions to the global movement toward a more sustainable future. As part of Visa’s longstanding initiatives to operate as a responsible, ethical and sustainable company, we celebrated by announcing progress on our recent commitment to 100% renewable electricity and hosting a series of educational events, expos, service projects and other activities in our offices around the world.

Progressing to 100 percent renewable electricity
In February, Visa announced our commitment to transition to 100 percent renewable electricity for our operations by the end of 2019. Today, we are pleased to share Visa’s enrollment in ECO100, a 100 percent carbon-free program offered by Peninsula Clean Energy, a community choice energy program in San Mateo County (CA) that offers clean, renewable energy resources like solar and wind. Visa’s enrollment covers the electricity used in our Foster City (CA) campus of four buildings. This enrollment is one example of how Visa is implementing the roadmap to renewables we laid out earlier this year.

To reach the goal of 100 percent renewable electricity, Visa will continue to work with local utility and competitive electricity market providers, such as Peninsula Clean Energy, to pursue renewable electricity options available in each market that best fits our approach to renewable electricity.

Global Events Engaging Employees
Additionally, Visa is celebrating Earth Month with a variety of activities focused on engaging our employees in our efforts to operate more sustainably, including:

  • Earth Day Expos: Events taking place in eight cities around the world to raise awareness among employees on Visa’s continued efforts to incorporate sustainability into offices and data centers
  • Learning Events: Visa is hosting external speakers from leading environmental organizations in Dubai, Kenya, South Africa and Morocco
  • Employee Volunteering: Employees are spearheading volunteer events such as garden clean-ups and tree plantings
  • Employee Green Survey: In 40+ offices, Visa is conducting a survey to better understand employees’ environmental interests and help shape future program offerings

We are proud of the great strides we have made in the stewardship of our environmental footprint, including our recent enrollment in Peninsula Clean Energy’s ECO100 program. To share this news around Earth Day—as we empower our employees to be green citizens at work, at home and in our communities—reinforces our continued commitment to ensuring a healthy and thriving planet.

To learn more about Visa’s commitment to environmental sustainability, click here to access the latest Corporate Responsibility Report.

Tag: Social Impact Tag: About Visa

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