Sustainability and the environment

Our contribution to the future

Sustainability that goes beyond energy

Our mission
Environmentally conscious hosting

GMX is committed to the responsible use of resources and to reducing our environmental impact. From energy sourcing to the supply chain, sustainability remains a key factor in our decision-making process.

Through the use of green energy, we minimise our CO₂ emissions. We also continuously improve the efficiency of our data centres. New servers are built with the most energy-efficient technologies available, and recycled or disposed of properly at the end of their service lives.

Minimising CO₂
Our energy is greener

To reduce our CO₂ output and to help do our part in the battle against climate change, GMX uses energy from renewable resources wherever possible.

All of our data centres in the UK and Germany run on electricity from renewable sources.

At our data centers worldwide, energy is either sourced from renewable sources, offset through certificates, or both. As soon as renewable energy becomes available, we purchase it from the respective supplier. Priority is given to local and regional suppliers.

100% green energy

All GMX data centres and offices in the UK and Germany are powered by renewable energy. In other markets, our carbon is offset.

Certified by the experts

Our energy management systems are regularly assessed by experts and are also ISO 50001 certified.

584 tonnes of CO₂ saved

In 2023, we saved 843 tonnes of CO₂ through the responsible recycling of old hardware.

Maximising performance while reducing energy consumption

Reducing our demand

Reducing energy consumption is just as important as sourcing sustainable energy. Regularly upgrading our data centre infrastructure helps to reduce energy loss during operation.

By optimising IT, such as through virtualisation and container clusters, we maximise the customer benefit while minimising our environmental impact.

Ultra-efficient hardware and software

Our data centres use the most modern, energy-efficient hardware. Low-power processors deliver performance and help eliminate excess heat, so they need less energy. The GMX web hosting system is Linux-based. This allows us to deliver optimal performance at high loads, while also being able to reduce the total number of servers. Similarly, virtualisation enables us to increasingly replace dedicated servers with cloud servers, while containers reduce redundancy on the operating system kernel.

Intelligent cooling

In addition to the servers themselves, cooling requires a considerable amount of energy. Finding more intelligent ways of cooling our data centres is a top priority.

Extensive renovations were carried out in 2017 at our data centre in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, where the UPS systems were replaced by a much more efficient system that reduces energy losses.

Our sustainable intiatives

Business travel
Environmentally responsible travel

All our energy-efficient offices are equipped with the latest in digital tools for instant messaging and video conferencing. These ensure cross-country collaboration without the need for cross-country travel.

When traveling is a must, by train is the preferred way to travel. GMX employees are also encouraged to carpool or use alternate fossil-fuel-free forms of transport. In addition, we work to ensure our fleet of company vehicles is always state of the art, both environmentally and economically. As of 2021, electric vehicles can be purchased and there is a per-vehicle CO₂ emission limit of 160 g/km.

Recycling
Reducing our footprint

Once our servers have reached the end of their service life, they are recycled and disposed of appropriately. In 2023 as part of the United Internet AG, 105 metric tons of hardware were recycled and as a result, our CO₂ footprint was reduced by over 843 metric tons.

Lastly, employees are also encouraged to recycle at work. Rubbish is sorted and recycled accordingly.

For more on our environmental policies and additional information about corporate social responsibility, please see:
All UI Reports
Sustainability Report 2023 as PDF