Sustainability at IONOS Cloud

Hosting a climate-neutral future

Learn more about what we're doing to keep our data centers sustainable.
Stefan Mink, Head of TechOps Hosting

Sustainability that goes beyond energy

At IONOS, your digital growth and a sustainable future go hand in hand.

Our mission

Climate-neutral infrastructure

IONOS is committed to keeping our infrastructure climate-neutral and free of environmental trade-offs. If you rely on our cloud or server products, your business can reduce its impact on the climate.

How? We use a mix of local, renewable energy sources, carbon offset certificates and other initiatives to neutralize our CO₂ emissions.

And we continuously improve the efficiency of our data centers. New servers are built with the most energy-efficient technologies possible, and recycled or disposed of properly at the end of their service lives.

From energy sourcing to the supply chain, sustainability plays a key role in our decision-making processes.

Minimizing CO₂

Green energy whenever and wherever

As part of our commitment to fighting climate change, IONOS utilizes energy from renewable sources wherever possible.

In the US, our proprietary data center runs completely on wind power. While in Europe, 100% of the electricity used in our data centers comes from renewable sources. Priority is given to local and regional suppliers.

Green electricity icon

100% green energy

Our proprietary data centers in North America and Europe run on 100% renewable electricity. In the few instances where we use non-renewable energy sources (like diesel generators for backup power), our carbon is offset.

226.85 tons of CO₂ saved

In 2021, we were able to save more than 226 tons of CO₂ through the responsible reuse and recycling of old servers and office equipment.

Certified by the experts

Our energy management systems are ISO 50001 certified and regularly assessed by sustainability management experts.

Optimizing without increasing energy demand

Just as important as sourcing green energy is reducing our overall energy consumption.

Giving back to the grid

Thanks to regular upgrades to our data center infrastructure, we cut operative energy losses and our electrical demand. And by optimizing our IT, we also reduce the numbers of servers needed. All of this reduces our carbon footprint.

We've cut our overall energy consumption year-over-year and still provide the high levels of availability our customers count on.

Stefan Mink
Head of TechOps Hosting, IONOSRead the full interview

Ultra-efficient hardware and software

Our data centers utilize the most modern, energy-efficient hardware. Low-power processors deliver performance and help eliminate excess heat, thus requiring less energy. Our own software stack built around Linux allows us to deliver optimal performance at high loads and reduce the overall number of servers at the same time. Similarly, virtualization enables us to replace dedicated servers with more-energy-efficient virtual servers. Containers reduce redundancy on the operating system kernel, allowing for more scalability during peak load times.

Intelligent cooling

Since cooling requires a considerable amount of energy, we're always looking for new ways to become more energy-efficient. This includes using data science and machine learning for more optimal cooling and the integration of newer technologies like adiabatic, or evaporative, cooling. A recent upgrade to our air conditioning system at our largest data center in Germany in 2020 resulted in a 15% increase in energy efficiency.

Other sustainable initiatives

From remote working to recycling old hardware, we encourage our employees to do their part.

Business trips

Remote work and fossil-free travel

All our energy-efficient offices are equipped for high-end video conferencing and virtual meetings. This ensures cross-country collaboration — without the need for cross-country travel.

When traveling is a must, train is preferred. We also encourage carpooling, offer subsidies for employees who cycle to work, and provide dedicated parking for electric vehicles.

Recycling

Reducing our carbon footprint

Once our servers have reached the end of their service life, they are recycled and disposed of appropriately.

In 2021, the IONOS Group recycled 124.1 tons of hardware, reducing our CO₂ footprint by over 226 tons.

Employees are also encouraged to play their part by recycling at work.

Animated graphic: Corporation between IONOS and AfB; Laptop, smartphone and desktop

Download the United Internet Sustainability Report 2021(PDF) to learn more about corporate social responsibility and the environmental policies at IONOS.