Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

New York Stock Exchange
Back to all articles
Somewhat Bullish +50

Digital Realty Publishes 2025 Impact Report, Highlighting Sustainability Progress

📊 Digital Realty released its 2025 Impact Report on May 27, 2026, detailing significant progress in sustainability and climate action.

🌍 CEO Andy Power stated that all 205 sites are matched with 100% renewable energy, with 75% operating without evaporative cooling.

🏆 The company was recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Datacenter Services Sustainability 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment.

⚡ Global renewable energy coverage reached 93% in 2025, representing an 18% increase from the previous year.

🔋 Digital Realty contracted 1.7 GW of large-scale renewable energy capacity and uses low-carbon HVO diesel fuel at 18% of its data centers.

♻️ Waste-heat projects increased heat supply to district energy programs by 46% since 2023, with over 10 active projects.

🌱 Carbon neutral certification was received for Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden, covering 42% of the European IT capacity portfolio.

⭐ Energy Star certification covers 53% of the U.S. portfolio by managed IT-capacity, with a global Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.38.

💧 Water usage increased only 3% from 2023 to 2025 despite a 34% portfolio growth, achieving a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of 0.59.

🚰 45% of total water is supplied by non-potable resources, marking a 3% improvement from the prior year.

🏗️ Six new data centers totaling 1.8 million square feet and 196 MW-IT achieved sustainable building certifications in 2025 with an average design PUE of 1.20.

🎓 Early career initiatives across Europe and Africa have helped over 40 participants secure permanent roles through apprenticeships and internships.

🤝 A partnership with Northern Virginia Community College has converted 53 interns into full-time roles since 2022 to develop data center talent.

🌐 VP of Sustainability Aaron Binkley emphasized a focus on responsible energy and water use while supporting AI and digital economy growth.

📍 Digital Realty operates a global footprint of over 300 facilities in more than 55 metros across 30+ countries on six continents.

⚠️ The report includes forward-looking statements regarding sustainability goals and strategies that involve risks and uncertainties.

Bullish Signals
  • Digital Realty achieved 93% global renewable energy coverage in 2025, representing an 18% increase from the prior year.
  • The company was recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Datacenter Services Sustainability 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment for its sustainable operations and responsible growth.
  • Digital Realty's portfolio grew by 34% between 2023 and 2025 while water usage increased by only 3%, demonstrating exceptional efficiency.
  • Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) improved by 15.7% to reach 0.59 across the global portfolio, with 45% of total water supplied by non-potable resources.
  • In 2025 alone, six new data centers totaling 1.8 million square feet and 196 MW-IT achieved sustainable building certifications with an average design PUE of 1.20.
  • The company has cumulatively achieved 17.8 million square feet and 1.5 GW-IT under sustainable building certifications, highlighting its commitment to high-performance infrastructure.
  • Community engagement initiatives have successfully converted 53 NVCC interns into full-time roles since 2022, while over 40 early career participants across Europe and Africa secured permanent positions.
Risk Factors
  • The article contains forward-looking statements regarding sustainability goals and certifications that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual outcomes to differ materially.
  • Digital Realty disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise.
Full Analysis
Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) released its 2025 Impact Report on May 27, 2026, detailing significant advancements in sustainability and operational efficiency across its global data center portfolio. The company achieved 93% global renewable energy coverage in 2025, an 18% increase from the previous year, with 205 of its sites now matched to 100% renewable and emissions-free energy sources. Additionally, Digital Realty secured carbon neutral certification for operations in Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden, which covers 42% of its European IT capacity. In terms of operational efficiency, the company reported a global Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.38, with an even lower 1.31 PUE across its EMEA portfolio. Water stewardship also saw marked improvement, with water usage effectiveness (WUE) improving by 15.7% to reach 0.59 globally. Notably, while the company's portfolio grew by 34% between 2023 and 2025, its total water usage increased by only 3%, largely due to a 45% supply of non-potable resources. The report also highlights progress in sustainable design and construction, with six new data centers totaling 1.8 million square feet achieving sustainable building standards in 2025, bringing the total certified footprint to 17.8 million square feet. Community engagement efforts included early career initiatives that helped secure permanent roles for over 40 participants, including converting 53 interns from Northern Virginia Community College into full-time employees since 2022. Digital Realty was also recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Datacenter Services Sustainability 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment for its progress in sustainable operations and responsible growth.