WP has begun the process of transition to green energy, which will be accomplished in several stages. Since the beginning of the year, the company has been purchasing energy exclusively with guarantees of origin from renewable sources. Construction of the first test photovoltaic farm has also begun. From 2023, WP data centres will be fully emissions-free.
The largest source of carbon emissions for technology companies is the energy used in their server rooms and data centres. In 2020, Wirtualna Polska calculated and reduced the so-called carbon footprint, i.e. greenhouse gas emissions expressed in CO2 equivalent. Emissions in 2020 were by more than 14% lower than in 2019, thanks in part to the optimisations made in the server rooms and the introduction of energy-efficient cooling and ventilation processes.
As of 2021, the process of transition to green energy has entered the next stage. Wirtualna Polska purchases electricity only with guarantees of origin from renewable sources. At the end of March, the construction of the first test photovoltaic farm has started. Within two years, the company will finalise the purchase of renewable energy directly from its generators. From 2023, all WP data centres will be fully emissions-free and climate-neutral.
A counter put up on the WP homepage shows by how much CO2 emissions into the atmosphere have decreased, compared to 2020, thanks to the changes introduced. Additionally, the users of the WP homepage and more than 20 other websites belonging to Wirtualna Polska can turn on the so-called dark mode. It saves energy in devices that use OLED screens, such as mobile phones. With the dark mode, rooms where computers are used in the evenings can also be less lit.
The transition to green energy will be supported by editorial and marketing campaigns in which WP will encourage users to make conscious choices, care about the environment and climate.
Wirtualna Polska is a technological holding, it is engaged in media, advertising and e-commerce activities. It is the owner of the WP homepage and owns specialist thematic websites such as money.pl, WP SportoweFakty or autocentrum.pl. In e-commerce, WP operates in the areas of tourism, fashion, interior design and house design, financial services, and in the automotive sector. According to a Mediapanel survey, 21.4 million Poles used WP’s online products in February 2021.