Newsroom

An update on our progress to net zero

By ·
·

Key Takeaways

  • We have taken a number of steps to help reach our net zero goal.
  • We have set emissions reductions targets, which have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.
  • We have achieved 100 percent renewable energy in our global offices, fulfilling a commitment we made in 2020.

Key Takeaways

  • We have taken a number of steps to help reach our net zero goal.
  • We have set emissions reductions targets, which have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.
  • We have achieved 100 percent renewable energy in our global offices, fulfilling a commitment we made in 2020.

At Airbnb, we believe that everyone has a responsibility to help achieve a stable climate and that businesses play a key role. Last year, we committed to a goal of operating as a net zero company by 2030—reducing our corporate greenhouse gas emissions* in line with our science-based targets, and using high-quality, nature-based solutions to address our residual emissions. Today, we are sharing an update on our progress and new steps we are taking to help reach our net zero goal.

Highlights from the first year of our net zero commitment, as detailed in our sustainability update, include:

  • Setting emissions reduction goals to meet our target: We have set near term emissions reductions targets, which have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.**
  • Measuring our footprint: We are measuring our corporate emissions and progress toward our reduction targets. From 2019 to 2021, our emissions declined meaningfully as a result of renewable energy purchases, pandemic-related reductions in spending, and reducing business travel and employee-related emissions driven by the move to hybrid and remote work, among other factors.
  • Renewable energy for offices: We have achieved 100 percent renewable energy in our global offices, fulfilling a commitment we made in 2020. We are now matching our office electricity use with 100 percent renewable energy purchases. 
  • Reducing Scope 3 emissions: We’ve launched our new Airbnb Supplier Sustainability Program to help our vendors implement or maintain their own emissions reductions plans. This will help us address the largest source of our Scope 3 corporate emissions.***
  • Investing in nature: We continue investing in nature-based solutions that will help protect the natural world. Additionally, we are founding participants in the LEAF Coalition, a public-private initiative that has mobilized $1 billion in corporate and government commitments to fight tropical deforestation.

These efforts build on prior work, including piloting ways to help our Hosts switch to renewables, creating educational resources to help them host more sustainably, and providing localized tips for how to be a responsible and sustainable traveler. 

We have partnered closely with sustainability leaders to inform our work, including Elizabeth Sturcken, managing director of the net zero program at the Environmental Defense Fund.

“Airbnb just raised the bar for climate leadership. By engaging suppliers, Airbnb is reaching the bulk of where corporate emissions originate. In addition, the breakthrough LEAF Coalition is charting the path forward for global forest protection. We are excited the company is taking significant steps to reach net zero by 2030.”

Elizabeth Sturcken, managing director of the net zero program at the Environmental Defense Fund

We will continue working with our global community of Hosts and guests, and other climate and sustainability experts, and look forward to sharing more about these plans in the future

Read our corporate sustainability update here.
Read more about: Climate, Net Zero, sustainability

*Including Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions associated with our corporate operations (e.g., emissions associated with vendors, employee travel, and data center usage), as described in our corporate sustainability update.

** Airbnb’s emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. According to SBTi, the targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from Airbnb’s operations (Scopes 1 and 2) are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5°C, what the latest climate science has told us is needed to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change. Airbnb’s target for the emissions from our value chain (Scope 3 for corporate operations) meet the SBTi’s criteria for ambitious value chain goals, meaning they are in line with current best practice.

***Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions that are calculated throughout the upstream and downstream value chain.

About Airbnb 

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals across over 220 countries and regions. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and one-of-a-kind activities that make it possible for guests to experience the world in a more authentic, connected way. Providing hosted travel and the ability to live anywhere on a global scale, Airbnb has become a noun and a verb and most traffic to our platform remains organic. We will continue to invest in innovations that expand the travel market and lead the way in turning travel into a way of life.

Download logo assets