Ebay Sustainability

I. eBay’s Current Sustainability Initiatives

eBay takes a comprehensive approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. Each initiative – from PayPal platforms that facilitate micro-lending to charitable giving to the eBay Foundation – shares the goal of “do more with less,” empowering all to participate fully in the global economy and to do so responsibly and sustainably. eBay is especially proud of the efforts of its Green Team, whose mission forms a vital component of eBay's CSR strategy and illustrates eBay's commitment to a greener planet and a more sustainable business model.

By its very nature as the leading online platform for secondary market goods, eBay extends the life of a diverse range of products. Electronic banking services provided by PayPal save paper and reduce consumers' carbon footprints by eliminating the need to mail payments or conduct business in person. To address the environmental impact of shipping, eBay Green Team partnered with the USPS in 2007 to create Cradle-to-Cradle certified, environmentally friendly Priority Mail packaging. In 2008, eBay began conducting comprehensive GHG inventories of all Scope 1, Scope 2, and portions of its Scope 3 emissions with the broader goal of reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions 15% by 2012 (Carbon Disclosure Project 8). That same year, eBay turned on a 650kW solar installation at its PayPal headquarters in San Jose, CA, and eBay's newest headquarters (also in San Jose) are the first LEED gold certified building in the city. A state of the art, environmentally friendly data center is now under construction in Salt Lake City and will feature a new 100kW solar installation.

As a member of BICEP, eBay believes that, “Climate change will impact all sectors of the economy and that various business perspectives are needed to provide a full spectrum of viewpoints for solving the climate and energy challenges facing America (Ceres).” To that end, eBay regularly collaborates with nonprofit advocates,...