Pinterest commits to sourcing 100% renewable power

September 13, 2022

San Francisco-based global image sharing platform Pintrest has announced it is ramping up its sustainability efforts by committing to purchasing 100 per cent renewable electricity for its offices around the world from next year.

The company said in an announcement last week that the new commitment builds on its existing efforts to save energy across its office estate, which comprises offices in more than 12 locations including its headquarters in San Francisco as well as sites Atlanta, Berlin, Chicago, Detroit, Dublin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Paris, São Paulo, Seattle, and Tokyo.

"We strive to create workspaces that nourish employees and are designed and operated in a responsible way," said Mia Ketterling, Pinterest's global sustainability lead. "Powering our offices with 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2023 is a step in our journey to build a better and more sustainable future for our employees and the global community."

The transition to renewable power will begin with the company's headquarters in San Francisco, where it will receive 100 per cent renewable electricity through the SuperGreen programme operated by CleanPowerSF - a San Francisco-based non-profit which is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to support local businesses and residencies in the transition to renewable energy.

Pintrest said that it will now work throughout its portfolio to purchase Energy Attribute Certificates, which it said would follow a set of guiding principles to ensure the power it uses is matched by renewables generation. The approach includes a commitment to prioritising renewable projects which are within the same country and operating within the same year as the electricity is consumed, as well as a goal to source power from projects which maximise system impact and support local communities.  

In addition to powering its existing portfolio with renewable energy, Pinterest said it is looking to source renewable energy "whenever possible" for new locations, while also seeking new office spaces which are industry certified by sustainability criteria such as LEED, BREEAM, and Energy Star.

Further sustainability measures currently in place throughout Pintrest's operations include programmes for reducing office and food waste, as well as guidance and incentives to help employees curb their environmental impact.

For example, the company said it partners with local organisations to recycle its used office furniture and equipment. It has been working with hardware lifecycle management platform Revivin for the past five years - a service which allows the company to donate used laptops to communities in need.

In order to combat excess food waste the company said that it is testing new Artificial Intelligence methods in San Francisco to help it track, project and reduce waste in its kitchens. It also works with local food waste tech platform Copia to donate surplus meals to the local community.

In addition, the company highlighted a number of sustainability-led employee incentives it has in place, including a partnership with comparison shopping market place EnergySage which offers all its employees in the US incentives to install solar on their homes or subscribe to local community solar farms. The company added that it also encourages the use of public transport, as well as offering all of its employees a monthly commuter subsidy where it purchases renewable energy credits to offset home electricity use for its global employees.

"We are dedicated to doing our part to promote sustainable outcomes on our platform, within our operations, and our communities," the company said in its announcement.

"Our commitment to renewable electricity is only one of the first steps in our journey to inspire a better future and create a greener world."