When Goldman Sachs decided in 2012 to begin developing a 68-megawatt wind project in Pennsylvania to cut 200,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its annual energy use, it was part of a plan the 148-year old investment bank devised to run entirely on renewable sources of energy by the end of the decade.
A laudable moonshot, Goldman is on track to easily hit its 2020 renewable targets. Last year, it bought certified renewable energy credits equivalent to 90% of its global electricity consumption ahead of the wind plant’s opening in 2019. Goldman cut firmwide energy and water usage by 10% and 5%, respectively, when compared against usage in 2013. Furthermore, paper consumption at the firm was down 13%; 91% of all waste at the bank avoided landfills.
