We're Invested in Environmental Stewardship
We believe a better future for the world starts with what we do today.
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Tomorrow matters to us
We’re committed to helping our clients create the futures they dream of. We’re also dedicated to protecting the future we all share. That’s why we work hard to minimize our environmental footprint.
Our goal is simple: Do what’s good, right, and sustainable.
Healthy buildings for a healthier world
We see every Schwab branch, office, and data center as an opportunity to be more thoughtful about our energy consumption. Through our real estate energy management program, we:
- Benchmark every major Schwab site using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® program
- Research and implement energy-saving projects that produce favorable returns on investment and create a positive impact on our energy use and carbon emissions
- Follow U.S. Green Building Council design and construction guidelines for all new Schwab facilities
- Use LEED® green building program’s rating system to guide our site selection, materials, and technology strategies
Solar fields
In 2020, Schwab installed a new solar field in North Texas that powers its recently built data center.
The solar field is 2.5 megawatts AC (3.5DC) in size and consists of 9,000 solar panels that rotate automatically east to west during the day and self-adjust to a 45-degree angle during the winter to maximize the capture of solar energy throughout the day.
Any unused power produced will be sold back to the grid as part of our goal to offset the energy costs of some of our other corporate buildings in Texas.
Responsible from the start
We’re moving beyond paper wherever we can—with far-reaching benefits. We also work with vendors that use recycled-content and sustainable products and maintain strong internal sustainability practices.
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- We’re improving our productivity by eliminating manual tasks, reducing the need for printing, and streamlining workflows.
- We source recycled and environmentally responsible products whenever feasible—including paper stock that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, contains post-consumer recycled content, or both.
- Employees have access to recycling and compost bins where available and can recycle personal items through our electronics recycling drives.
- Mobile phones, computers, office equipment, and all other electronic equipment that can’t be donated are recycled through authorized recyclers.
Practice. Report. Improve.
It’s not enough just to follow sustainable business practices. We believe it’s vital to measure our progress along the way. It’s how we improve.
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- We track and manage Schwab Corporate Real Estate performance data, such as carbon emissions, energy and water consumption, ENERGY STAR scores, and volume of environmentally favorable purchases.
- We disclose our environmental performance annually to CDP, a nonprofit organization helping businesses, investors, and communities manage their environmental impacts. Our report includes carbon footprint, energy management results, and corporate activities that affect carbon emissions.
- We participate in the Newsweek Green Rankings of the top 500 U.S. firms and aim for annual improvement of our standing.
