Sustainability and the environment

Our contribution to the future

Sustainability that goes beyond energy

Our mission
Environmentally conscious hosting

GMX is committed to the responsible use of resources and reducing our environmental impact. From energy sourcing to the supply chain, sustainability remains a key factor in our decision-making process.

Through the use of green energy, we minimize our CO₂ emissions. We also continuously improve the efficiency of our data centers. New servers are built with the most energy-efficient technologies possible and recycled or disposed of properly at the end of their service lives.

Minimizing CO₂
Green energy whenever and wherever

To reduce our CO₂ and to help do our part in the battle against climate change, GMX utilizes energy from renewable sources wherever possible.

In Germany and the UK, 100% of the electricity used in our data centers comes from renewable sources.

At our data centers worldwide, energy is either sourced from renewable sources, offset through certificates, or both. As soon as renewable energy becomes available, we purchase it from the respective supplier. Priority is given to local and regional suppliers.

100% green energy

All our GMX data centers in Germany and the UK are powered by renewable energy. In other markets, our carbon is offset.

Certified by the experts

Our energy management systems are regularly assessed by experts and ISO 50001 certified.

973.33 metric tons less CO₂

In 2020, we were able to cut CO₂ emissions by 973.33 metric tons through the responsible recycling of old hardware.

Maximizing optimization without increasing energy consumption

Reducing our demand

Equally as important as sustainable energy sourcing is the reduction of our energy consumption.

Regularly upgrading our data center infrastructure reduces energy loss during operation. By optimizing IT, through virtualization and container clusters, for example, we maximize customer benefit while minimizing our environmental impact.

Ultra-efficient hardware and software

Our data centers utilize the most modern, energy-efficient hardware. Low-power processors deliver performance and help eliminate excess heat, thus requiring less energy.

The GMX web hosting system is Linux-based. This allows us to deliver optimal performance at high loads, while also being able to reduce the total number of servers. Similarly, virtualization enables us to increasingly replace dedicated servers with cloud servers, while containers reduce redundancy on the operating system kernel.

Intelligent cooling

Next to the servers themselves, cooling requires a considerable amount of energy. Finding more intelligent ways of cooling our data centers is a top priority.

For example, extensive renovations were carried out in 2017 at our data center in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, where the UPS systems were replaced by a much more efficient system that reduces energy losses.

Our other sustainable intiatives

Business travel
Environmentally responsible travel

All our energy-efficient offices are equipped with the latest in digital tools for instant messaging and video conferencing. These ensure cross-country collaboration — without the need for cross-country travel.

When traveling is a must, train is the preferred means of transport. GMX employees are encouraged to carpool or use alternate fossil-fuel-free forms of transport. In addition, we work to ensure our fleet of company vehicles is always state of the art, both environmentally and economically. As of 2021, electric vehicles can be purchased and there is a per-vehicle CO₂ emission limit of 160 g/km.

Recycling
Reducing our footprint

Once our servers have reached the end of their service life, they are recycled and disposed of appropriately.

In 2020 as part of the United Internet AG, 172.39 metric tons of hardware were recycled and as a result, our CO₂ footprint was reduced by over 973 metric tons.

Lastly, employees are also encouraged to recycle at work. Trash is sorted and recycled accordingly.

For more on our environmental policies and additional information about corporate social responsibility, please see:
Sustainability Report 2020, United Internet AG (PDF).