We are strong believers in the power of markets and think our highest potential to move the needle rests with creating market infrastructure that enables more sustainable investment. At the same time, we recognize that every effort counts and we work hard to mitigate the impact our operations have on the environment.
We are a service business providing technology, financial and data services for our customers. We do not manufacture or transport products; our main environmental impact comes from the footprint of our data centers, office facilities and business travel. In recognition of that we have purchased renewable energy, carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates to cover our energy consumption at our offices and data centers globally, as well as for employee air travel starting in 2019*.
At Intercontinental Exchange our commitment to corporate responsibility is steadfast as we innovate and grow based on our customers’ evolving needs.
By identifying the unique role we can play as corporate citizens and leveraging our community of global companies, we strive to make the world a better place. These efforts take form in many ways:
We focus our energy management program on our two data centers, where we can make the most material difference. Our centers have implemented industry leading techniques to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste and offset operating emissions. The building structures provide a high level of insulation and minimize outside air infiltration, reducing solar heat gains, lowering thermal losses and delivering a more efficient cooling profile and lower energy demand.
The most commonly used and cited metric for data center energy efficiency is Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). At our data centers, we have consistently delivered a PUE that has outperformed the base building design by up to 14% by implementing multiple mitigation tactics including: optimized thermal stratification, data center air management, high efficiency HVAC chillers, speed control on cooling equipment and automated lighting control systems.
Our Basildon data center supplies 100% of its electricity from renewable energy. It was built to stringent specifications allowing us to attain the following ISO accreditations:
We have renovated our largest offices in recent years to provide modern, well-designed and sustainable workspace for our employees. We consider the environmental impact when designing and renovating buildings, including putting in place energy efficient systems and recycling waste materials from construction.
After purchasing our Atlanta headquarters building in 2014, we initiated a major renovation that resulted in significantly enhanced energy efficiency throughout the building, including:
We completed a restoration and renovation project of the iconic New York Stock Exchange headquarters located at 11 Wall Street in 2017. Those updates included:
We rent office space in a variety of additional locations around the world, including major cities in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In the U.S., where possible, we lease space in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified locations. For example, our Chicago employees work in a LEED Platinum Certified building and our Houston team works in a LEED Gold Certified building.
We encourage employees to take advantage of video-conferencing equipment when possible to avoid travel. For daily commutes, we encourage smart commuting at all our facilities, especially those located in metropolitan areas that are served by mass transit systems.
Additionally, in our day-to-day activities we are continually taking steps to reduce our footprint, such as:
*Air travel based on estimate. Office energy use based on electricity consumed and estimates determined based on square footage.