Business Operations
Business Operations

NVIDIA business operations’ includes our international offices and data center facilities. Our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint by reducing water, waste and energy usage and running our data centers as efficiently as possible.

Our environmental management committee is the driver of our business operations strategy, and assists NVIDIA in establishing systems and programs that reduce energy, water usage and waste, as well as encourage employees to become active participants in protecting our environment. We provide employees with an online community where they can post ideas for any of our business areas and the committee reviews them bi-weekly and implements the best ideas that provide a cost savings and environmental benefit for the company and planet. We also hold quarterly “green bag” events to create awareness about the issues we’d like to tackle as well as brainstorm potential solutions for these issues.

Ongoing Environmental Initiatives

A sampling of some of our environmental initiatives in the US (and in some international offices) include:

Energy Conservation
  • De-lamping and energy efficient lighting
  • Occupancy sensors for lighting/computers
  • Nightly security checks to turn-off lighting in non-occupied areas
  • Virtualization of servers in data centers
  • Increased usage of energy efficient servers
  • Move primary data center to LEED Platinum data center facility
  • Real-time power usage effectiveness (PUE) tracking
  • Initiative to “power off” unnecessary equipment in cubicles and data centers
  • Implementation of NVIDIA Tesla™ servers

Solid Waste Reduction

  • Ongoing recycling (paper, metal, plastic, wood, batteries)
  • Biodegradable utensils and containers in cafeteria and break rooms.
  • 100% recycled paper used in copy machines, printers
  • Duplex printing is default in all printers and copiers
  • Removed plastic bag liners from over 3,000 cubicle trash containers
  • Launched compost program
  • Recycle internal hardware and product for re-use library
  • Implement These Come from Trees stickers in bathrooms and break rooms

Water Reduction

  • Ongoing monitoring of landscape water
  • Air-side economization in data centers
  • Draught tolerant plants and trees
  • Low flow aerators on all faucets
  • Dual-flush toilets
  • Waterless urinals

Other

  • Switch to non-toxic cleaning products throughout entire campus
  • Creation of “Green Ideas” community where employees post ideas for how to reduce our carbon footprint.
  • Freecycle – Create internal version of Freecycle web site to encourage “reuse” among employees.
Environmental Compliance

Our Environmental Management System (EMS) and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) programs are the backbone of business operations. They dictate how we create a safe and healthy environment for employees and how we run our offices with as little environmental impact as possible. Our EHS team provides technical support, information and training, consultation, and periodic audits of environmental, health and safety practices and regulatory compliance.

Recycling and Waste/Water Reduction

Recycling practices are followed in many offices worldwide and we strive to reduce water usage and eliminate waste as much as possible. In addition to the long list of items we recycle in our offices, we also have a strong e-waste recycling program, which includes our IT teams reusing older computer equipment and responsibly recycling equipment that we can no longer use. We also reduce waste through our green purchasing policies. NVIDIA’s procurement team factors environmental criteria into purchasing decisions for office supplies and equipment, such as, does the company produce and transport its products responsibility, and use high quality materials that don’t waste natural resources.

Energy Efficiency and Carbon Footprint

As part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders Program, NVIDIA tracks its energy usage for US offices, calculates carbon emissions and then determines how to reduce through direct efficiency projects or carbon offset credits/RECs. We also commit to increasing our Power Usage Effectiveness ratio by 9% in the data centers.