Today Facebook released an animated infographic about its ongoing journey to sustainability, explaining “2010 marked an awakening for Facebook’s sustainability efforts”. As viewers scroll past green stats like that 47% of Facebook employees commute via alternative methods, birds flutter and bikes whiz by. Designed by digital consultancy Beyond, the new graphic also notes Facebook’s sustainable data centers, efficient photo storage, and solar-powered campus.
The infographic quietly implies that before 2010, Facebook was too focused on scaling to make going green a priority. But by touting its new commitment to the environment, Facebook could boost its public image and bolster recruiting efforts with eco-aware talent.
Many of the stats in the infographic have been shared before (see coverage below) but details of Facebook’s new Menlo Park mega-campus are the freshest. Similar to the Googleplex, employees can ride between buildings on dedicated campus bikes. Commuter shuttles from San Francisco and nearby Caltrain stops reduce the need for employees to drive and contribute to the 47% of employees commuting alternatively. Facebook is also investing in local civil infrastructure to improve bike lanes leading to 1 Hacker Way.
A solar cogeneration system replaces 60% of the campus fitness center’s natural gas needs, and also powers its kitchens with hot water and electricity. The Menlo Park campus has earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold CI certification.
Facebook’s past green initiatives include:
- The launch of its “Green on Facebook” Page
- A collaboration with past critic Greenpeace to make Facebook’s services more sustainable
- The Open Compute Project to open source efficient server and data center designs
- The construction of green data centers in Prineville, Oregon and Rutherford, North Carolina
- Plans for a self-cooling and locally-powered data center in Luleå, Sweden
- The creation of the Haystack photo infrastructure for efficient storage