The effects of climate change are likely to have an increasingly tangible impact on how we live and travel. That's why we are working hard to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions at offices and data centres, as well as limiting the amount of waste we send to landfill.
Carbon Neutral Operations
As part of our approach to helping protect the planet, we made our operations carbon neutral in 2020. This was not a one-off. It was the start of an ongoing commitment to shrinking our carbon footprint, now and in the future.
We're reducing our emissions and increasing energy efficiency in three main ways:
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Continuing to convert standard energy contracts to renewable energy contracts.
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Carrying out efficiency upgrades in our highest carbon-emitting offices.
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Supporting employees in increasing their energy efficiency, both in the office and at home.
And what we can't reduce, we offset through the purchase of credible (Gold Standard and VCS) carbon offset projects around the world. But we know offsets are not the long-term answer, they just help us keep our emissions lowered while we continue to find ways to make our operations more efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels.
Carbon Offset Projects
Improving Environmental Performance
Ejuva Small-Scale Solar Energy Project, Namibia
This project contributes to the diversification of Namibia’s energy mix; reduces carbon emissions by producing green, emission- free electricity; and promotes employment and skills development during both construction and operation.
Orb Energy Solar, India
Orb Energy is bringing rural and semi-urban populations up the energy ladder by making household solar technology accessible in India, where the largely coal-powered grid struggles to cope with the increasing demand for energy.
Pichacay Landfill Gas to Energy Project, Ecuador
This joint project between Dutch engineers and the municipality of Cuenca processes the waste at the Pichacay landfill to generate electricity. The project prevents possible emissions released from the landfill, greens the Ecuadorian grid and creates local jobs.
Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project, Cambodia
This project protects 497,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in southwest Cambodia. The project has also expanded its associated ecotourism program that not only increases income for the 28 villages in the rainforest’s vicinity but also reduces the illegal deforestation that occurs in the region.
Guacamaya Small-Scale Hydropower Program, Honduras
These new small-scale, run-of-river hydropower plants supply clean energy to Honduras’ widely dispersed, rural and underdeveloped communities. The technology guarantees minimal impact on surrounding nature, and environmental education programs for the local communities.
Bangkok Kamphaeng East Landfill Gas to Electricity Project, Thailand
Thailand’s first landfill gas project is located at the city’s main landfill site, which accepts approximately 5,000 tons of waste per day from Bangkok. As Thailand has no formal recycling scheme to prevent the increasing amount of waste sent to landfill, this project creates a viable alternative to processing this waste.
Current Emissions
Booking Holdings
2020 Operational Emissions
(including the emissions from offices, data centers & business travel flights.
TOTAL SCOPE 1, 2 & 3 (METERIC TONS CO2e)
55,923
Scope 1
2,373
Scope 2
41,994
Scope 3
11,556
Greenhouse Gas
Emission By Source
2020
56%
24%
21%
Office
Business Travel Flights
Data Centers
Office & Data Centers
Consumption & Emissions*
● Energy consumption (MWh) ● Emissions (Metric Tons CO2e)
131,895
51,335
189,713
66,219
257,377
57,270
173,809
44,367
2018
2019 (report last year)
2019 (new methodology)
2020
29%
Booking.com
Renewable Energy
29% Booking.com office area is powered by
renewable energy
Single-use products
We're not only focused on reducing energy consumption but looking at how we use and consume all sorts of products – particularly single-use products. At our Amsterdam headquarters, we've removed all single-serving packaging, as well as many other single-use products. In our Asia-Pacific offices, plastic lunch boxes were replaced with biodegradable ones and in vending machines plastic bottles have been exchanged for cans and products with plastic packaging switched for paper-packed alternatives. These are just the beginning. We will continue to remove, replace or reduce single-use products, wherever possible.
Waste-streaming
Waste comes in many forms, from food to furniture. We have comprehensive waste-streaming systems implemented in 70% of our offices, and plan to have systems in the remaining 30% when we return to regular operations. As part of this, we have recycling programs in every office in a city with municipal recycling programs in place and buildings that enable the proper processing of waste. But our waste-streaming approach is not just about separating recycling and non-recycling; we take a holistic view, looking at insights, education and overall mitigation. That's why we have overhauled some of our biggest kitchens to monitor unnecessary food waste and implemented new education for employees. Just before the pandemic, we established a new policy for left-over furniture after office closures, which stipulates that all functional furniture remain with the landlord, so it can be used again, or it is donated locally.