ARMONK, N.Y. — IBM released its ninth annual Corporate Responsibility Report, in which the company reported significant results in energy conservation and data center energy efficiency last year. The company said it saved more than $43 million in electricity expenses and conserved 378,000 megawatt hours of electricity last year, enough to power almost 34,000 average U.S. homes for a year.

IBM said its energy conservation projects delivered savings equal to 7.4 percent of the company’s total energy use, significantly exceeding the annual goal of 3.5 percent. This was the result of an ongoing program involving 2,300 energy conservation projects at more than 364 IBM facilities around the world. The company said it will continue these conservation efforts and aim to eliminate 1.1 million megawatt hours of energy consumption by the end of 2012.

IBM said its long-term sustainability policies are paying off, literally. From 1990-2011, the company’s energy conservation efforts have avoided 5.8 billion kWh of electricity consumption, nearly 3.8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, and saved the company $442 million.

“In order for sustainability to be more than a passing fad, it must be sustained over the long term,” said Wayne Balta, vice president of environmental affairs and product safety at IBM. “At IBM, environmental leadership is at the heart of our corporate values, and it shows in how we engage with clients, employees, and communities in our efforts to make the planet smarter. From the impact of our operations and products on the environment, to how we manage our global supply chain, environmental leadership is a strategic imperative, backed by the conviction that good environmental management makes good business sense.”

Publication date: 8/6/2012