Where sustainability meets ROI

Almost a decade ago, the world united under the Paris Agreement to advance a singular goal: decarbonization. It was an unprecedented, optimistic moment, as nations, businesses, and citizens rallied around the idea that growth and carbon could finally be decoupled.

Out of this momentum came the recognition that ambition requires accountability. We began to see movement toward standardized global frameworks for reporting and disclosure—a necessary step in translating commitment into measurable progress.

Since then, the path has been anything but linear. Political shifts, economic uncertainty, and regulatory pushback have all tested our resolve. But as we reflect back, one thing remains clear: Sustainability isn’t going away as a corporate priority.

And as we move from idealism to impact, the conversation is maturing. We’re in a new era, where sustainability is expected to deliver a return on investment—strengthening resilience, reducing costs, mitigating risks, and unlocking new opportunities for growth.

At NetApp, this shift is reflected in how we measure and report our own progress. Our 2025 Impact Report, which was released today, tells the story of how sustainability has become core to our strategy, culture, and long-term competitiveness.

We’re focused on three areas that define how we create value.

The NetApp^® integrated portfolio of intelligent data infrastructure solutions help customers optimize performance while minimizing environmental impact. We provide detailed product-level environmental data—giving our customers transparent, science-based insights into the carbon footprint of their hardware purchases.

And through our global product takeback program, we help customers manage e-waste responsibly. We plan to expand the program to recover packaging materials as well. Together, these initiatives represent our commitment to a circular economy and a more sustainable technology ecosystem.

The success and resilience of a business will always come down to its people. That’s why we launched Thrive this year, a companywide initiative designed to fuel our high-achievement culture. Thrive provides clear ways for every employee to grow, to belong, to perform, and to be recognized.

Beyond our walls, our people are also making an impact. We’ve made education a core focus of our social impact work, partnering with customers and nonprofits to expand access to data and AI literacy, skills, and career pathways for the next generation. Together, we reached 500,000 students worldwide in NetApp fiscal year 2025 (FY25)—a 452% increase from last year.

To support the sustainability of our own business, NetApp is focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing our dependence on carbon-intensive energy sources, conserving natural resources, and enhancing the resilience of our supply chain.

In January 2025, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) validated NetApp’s updated near-term emissions-reduction targets, and we are well on our way to achieving our goals. In FY25, we achieved a 6% year-over-year reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, even as energy consumption increased, which brings our total operational emissions reductions to 41% since 2020.

We also conducted our first climate risk assessment this year, engaging cross-functional internal teams and external experts to strengthen our long-term resilience and to inform our future strategy.

As we look to the future, we know that data can’t be decoupled from sustainability, especially in the age of AI. As data and energy demands continue to increase, we’re committed to building a fully sustainable data pipeline. We’re creating AI-optimized storage solutions that minimize energy use while we continue to embed circular economy practices into our physical products and infrastructure.

I’m proud of the progress that we’ve made this year, and I’m grateful to the people who have made it possible. Ultimately, our sustainability goals remain the same. But by sharpening our pencil on these goals, and by focusing on measurable impact and business value, we’re proving that sustainability and success are mutually reinforcing principles. That’s how we’ll create a more resilient and sustainable world.

Dive deep into NetApp’s 2025 Impact Report.