Flexential Releases Inaugural ESG Report

Charlotte, N.C. – June 20, 2023 – Flexential, a leading provider of colocation, cloud and connectivity, today released its inaugural 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report highlighting the company’s accomplishments and commitment to integrating ESG into all aspects and levels of the business. Led by a cross-functional ESG Committee, the report outlines progress and goals to support Flexential’s dedication to transparency, accountability and responsible business practices that center around the planet, its people and the communities Flexential serves.       

“Flexential has long believed in the power of ESG in building a brighter future and we’re committed to integrating ESG considerations into everything that we do, from business decision-making to customer engagements,” said Chris Downie, CEO, Flexential. “We are proud to share this report and celebrate our early successes, while driving a clear path forward to make the greatest impact. This is just the beginning of a more sustainable future.”

Notable 2022 accomplishments in the report include:

Environmental

Keeping sustainability at the core of operations, Flexential initiated the construction of two new data centers in Douglasville, GA, and Hillsboro, OR, with the latest Gen 5 design –  with a design power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.4, below the estimated industry average of 1.55 PUE, and a design water usage effectiveness (WUE) of zero. Flexential is working to reduce its carbon footprint across existing data center infrastructure, notably with the Collegeville Data Center where there was a 6% reduction in PUE.

Flexential signed on to the iMasons Climate Accord, a coalition united on carbon reduction in digital infrastructure with a mandate to achieve global carbon accounting of digital infrastructure to influence market-based decisions and drive the industry to achieve carbon neutrality.

Social

Flexential strongly promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) to provide a supportive and inclusive workplace for the people, while prioritizing philanthropy in the communities it serves through FlexCares. The creation of Flexential’s DEIB Council led to the launch of three new employee resource groups (ERGs), the first annual ERG fair and two employee surveys – Flex Your Voice and DEIB. Other employee-centric achievements include: employee assistance programs, health and wellness incentives, a 10.9% reduction in medical premiums, 5,000+ hours of employee trainings and merit and bonus packages.

Governance

Following its initial green bond asset-backed security (ABS) issuance in 2021, Flexential issued two additional green notes in 2022 to fund the development and expansion of qualifying green data centers. The company established mature ESG compliance, policies and standard operating procedures that all employees adhere to, enabling Flexential to better support highly regulated customers in multiple markets. Flexential also continues to uphold an industry-leading compliance program, including multiple third-party certifications and assessments, that will include ESG reporting components moving forward.

Flexential remains dedicated to the sustainability journey across its 39 data centers, in 19 markets, and will share additional detail on defining targets by year end.

Additional Resources

• View the full Flexential FY2022 ESG Report.
• Learn more about Flexential’s ESG approach and corporate responsibility.
• Learn more about Flexential Data Centers and Hybrid Cloud IT solutions.

About Flexential

Flexential empowers the nation’s most complex businesses on their journey to Hybrid IT by offering flexible and tailored solutions comprised of colocation, cloud, connectivity, data protection, managed and professional services. The company builds on a platform of three million square feet of data center space in 19 highly connected markets, and on its 100 Gbps private backbone to meet the most stringent challenges in security, compliance, and resiliency. See how Flexential goes beyond the four walls of the data center to empower IT through our interactive map.