Sustainability
Bold climate action is the only way forward.
We’re bringing the full power of Salesforce to accelerate the world's journey to net zero.
Our Path to a Sustainable Future.
Our vision is to leverage the full power of Salesforce to accelerate our customers’ journey to net zero emissions with Net Zero Cloud, lead the nature positive movement through 1t.org, invest in the ecopreneur revolution, and drive the energy transition to halve global emissions by 2030 while reducing Salesforce’s value chain emissions by 50% by FY31.
To achieve net zero residual emissions, we focus on six sustainability priorities. We hope other organizations will be inspired to join us and use our plan as a blueprint for building a more sustainable future.
Salesforce's Journey to Net Zero
At Salesforce, we consider the planet a key stakeholder.
Salesforce has net zero residual emissions, achieved 100% renewable energy for our operations, and is a founding partner of 1t.org. We actively engage policymakers, our peers, partners, suppliers, and customers to accelerate our collective impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salesforce has been on its climate action journey for over a decade. Our core values — trust, customer success, innovation, equality, and sustainability — are inextricably linked to how we think and what we do around climate action.
We are at an “all-of-the-above” moment in the climate crisis. To meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5℃, companies must take comprehensive action to drive meaningful change toward a net zero, nature positive world.
Our Climate Action Plan outlines six sustainability priorities that we believe every company can adopt to accelerate our collective journey to net zero: Emissions Reduction, Carbon Removal, Trillion Trees & Ecosystem Restoration, Education & Mobilization, Innovation, and Regulation & Policy.
We also believe in transparent, re-performable, consistent, and verifiable disclosures. For over a decade, Salesforce has published its annual Stakeholder Impact Report, which includes our climate metrics and progress toward targets.
We are actively working to reduce our absolute emissions by 50% by 2030 by operationalizing carbon reduction programs across four key areas of our business, including infrastructure, business travel, real estate, and supply chain. Find out more in our Stakeholder Impact Report.
Salesforce is committed to advocating for clear and consistent, science-based climate policies that facilitate a just and equitable global transition to a net zero future. See our climate policy principles, nature policy principles, and climate justice policy principles to learn more about our policy priorities.
In 2021, as part of our Climate Action Plan, and in support of the shared global goal of achieving a just and equitable transition to net zero and limiting warming to 1.5°C, Salesforce:
Set a goal to reduce our own absolute emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) by 50% by 2030 and to near zero by 2040, without relying on market instruments like renewable energy purchases or carbon credits.
Reached our 100% renewable energy goal. That means we utilize renewable energy or renewable energy certificates that are equivalent to the electricity we use globally on an annual basis.
Expanded our carbon credit purchases to the equivalent of our remaining scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, primarily from nature-based solutions and technology. Read more about our carbon credit strategy here.
In absence of clear consensus on what claim a company should make related to these near- and long-term actions, we have called this outcome net zero residual emissions and obtained limited assurance from Ernst & Young LLP (EY), an independent third party, on this claim.
We welcome and actively engage with third-party sustainability guidance to enhance clarity and transparency for our stakeholders.
*That means we purchase carbon credits equivalent to Salesforce’s residual scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
We believe that key ESG metrics should be transparent, repeatable, consistent, and verifiable. Since FY18, we have engaged Ernst & Young LLP (EY), an independent third party, to perform a limited assurance review over selected environmental metrics, and in FY22, this scope expanded to include our net zero residual emissions¹ status. As in previous years, our latest Stakeholder Impact Report includes a link to EY’s report.
In 2015, we made our first net zero commitment. Since then, we’ve prioritized reducing our emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) by 50% by 2030 and near zero by 2040. In 2021, we went a step further, utilizing renewable energy or renewable energy certificates equivalent to the electricity we use on an annual basis, along with carbon credits equivalent to our residual scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, to drive climate action and investments in the short term. Salesforce has referred to this outcome as net zero residual emissions¹ and obtained limited assurance from EY on this claim.
Guidance from SBTi and other similar entities is still evolving, but says that achieving net zero requires a 90% reduction in emissions, with the remaining emissions compensated through permanent carbon removals. We acknowledge that Salesforce, like other companies, has not yet reached this net zero definition, and doing so may take several decades.
While this guidance is valuable, there’s a gap in defining what claims companies can make in the near term regarding actions like procuring renewable energy, prioritizing emissions reduction, policy advocacy, philanthropy, sectorwide initiatives, and carbon credit usage. Thankfully, groups like the Voluntary Carbon Markets Initiative are now developing related guidance. Salesforce is actively involved in this effort and will continually evaluate our existing net zero residual emissions¹ claim to align with best practices.
At Salesforce, we continually look for ways to innovate on our own carbon emissions reporting. For example, we looked for how we could improve Salesforce’s carbon accounting process to deliver faster, better, and more accurate data. No one said “you have to use Salesforce,” to do this, but it turns out that our own technology was our best option. That’s why we built Net Zero Cloud.
Being able to quickly track, analyze, and report on our environmental footprint with reliable, investor-grade data has proven essential for third-party reviews, financial filings, voluntary climate disclosures (e.g., our annual Stakeholder Impact Report and 10-K filings), and building trust among stakeholders to reach climate goals. Now, we are helping companies like AT&T, Crowley Maritime, Cushman & Wakefield, JetBlue, and Mastercard, and Werner Enterprises do the same with Net Zero Cloud.
In 2021, Salesforce reached a major milestone by sourcing 100% renewable energy worldwide. We define this as procuring renewable energy or renewable energy certificates equivalent to the electricity we use globally on an annual basis. We’ve been dedicated to accelerating power sector decarbonization since we first committed to 100% renewable energy in 2013. We’ve shared our approach in our white paper, “More Than a Megawatt,” to help others replicate and enhance the co-benefits of renewable energy purchases.
Our renewable energy projects span the United States and international locations. Notably, in 2020, we signed our first international power purchase agreement with X-ELIO’s Blue Grass solar farm in Queensland, Australia, producing energy for approximately 80,000 homes and reducing over 320,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. Additionally, in 2023, we signed an agreement to purchase D-RECs to support high-impact renewable energy projects in Brazil, India, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, advancing an inclusive transition to clean energy. This deal was recognized by CRS in 2023 for its role in opening up international markets.
Today, there's both excitement about the growth of the voluntary carbon market and concern about the quality of carbon credits and their ability to deliver on their intended benefits. While not perfect, carbon markets are vital for financing climate solutions. They’re not a standalone solution but should be part of a comprehensive climate strategy. Salesforce believes in our collective ability to mitigate the risks of carbon markets and seize their immense potential. Read more about our carbon credit strategy here.
This table details the portfolio of carbon credits Salesforce purchased for its residual Scope 1, 2 (market-based), and 3 emissions in FY23.
This table details Salesforce’s climate-related claims, commitments, and goals.
Forests are the lungs of our planet. That’s why we are a founding partner of the trillion trees initiative, 1t.org, a global movement to conserve, restore, and grow healthy forest ecosystems globally by 2030. As part of our commitment to 1t.org, Salesforce set a goal to help fund the conservation, restoration, or growth of an additional 100 million trees by the end of the decade, and we’re proud to have helped fund more than 46 million trees in three short years. You can track our progress here.
The Trillion Trees movement aims to secure an additional trillion trees in biodiverse forests through conservation, restoration, and growth — not just planting new ones.
Global forest destruction is alarming, with about 10 million hectares lost yearly. Urgent action is needed to prevent the loss of rainforests, like the Amazon, where 18% deforestation risks converting it into savanna. Scientific research highlights the potential of restoring 2.2 billion acres (900 million hectares) of degraded land by growing 1–1.2 trillion trees. Adding more trees can include trees in cities, on farms through agroforestry, and by restoring existing forests and forest landscapes.
We need all businesses to use not only their influence, but also their core competencies to rapidly innovate to tackle climate change.
Suzanne DiBiancaChief Impact Officer, Salesforce
Take climate action
Climate Action Plan
Learn about our six sustainability priorities, which can be a blueprint for others to accelerate their net zero journeys.
Strategies for Net Zero Now
Hit the trail and create a Climate Action Plan for your business.
Plant the Seeds for a More Sustainable Future
Conserve, restore, and grow trees with 1t.org.
Go net zero now with Net Zero Cloud.
The planet needs climate action now, which is why at Salesforce we are committed to ambitious climate leadership solutions that create ripple effects. We’re on a mission to drive urgent action, and we hope you join us on the journey.
- Track, analyze, and report on environmental data, including supplier data across Scope 3 categories
- Set aggressive science-based targets and monitor the net zero achievement plan
- Share real-time, investor-grade dashboards with key stakeholders on net zero progress