Akamai’s continuous innovation in optimizing our edge server infrastructure is a significant step toward a more sustainable future. By focusing on smarter resource utilization and reducing hardware dependency, these efforts not only contribute to cost efficiencies but also deliver substantial environmental benefits. Below is a detailed analysis of the environmental impact and emissions reductions achieved through these efforts.

Software Example 1: Optimizing Disk Space

Akamai optimized our edge server software stack, enhancing disk utilization and enabling up to 12% additional caching capacity per server. This was achieved by:

• Reducing reserved disk space from 5% to 1%.
• Increasing disk utilization before managing cache data.
• Deploying these optimizations on Akamai’s latest-generation hardware.

Environmental Impact

Reduced Hardware Demand

Avoided the acquisition of 2,732 new servers.

Avoided CO2 Emissions

Approximately 78,000 metric tons (MT CO2e) projected reduction over five years — equivalent to taking over 16,900 cars off the road for one year.

Resource Efficiency

Lower demand for disk production and transportation, contributing to reduced resource extraction and manufacturing emissions.

Software Example 2: Optimizing Capacity

By refining traffic load reporting, Akamai improved resource balancing across servers, preventing resource overload and increasing capacity by 10%–15%. Key outcomes include:

• Enhanced traffic capacity and added 3.6 Tbps (8.05%) of capacity wihtout additional hardware.
• Reduced hardware needs and saved the deployment of 1,334 servers, with 218 servers avoided in Q4 ’24 alone.

Environmental Impact

Avoided CO2 Emissions

Approximately 19,000 metric tons (MT CO2e) projected reduction over five years.

Energy Savings

Fewer servers translate to reduced energy consumption for operations and cooling in data centers.

Supply Chain Efficiency

Decreased demand for server manufacturing and shipping.

Environmental Benefits

Across both initiatives, Akamai projects a total 97,000 metric tons (MT CO₂e) reduction in emissions over the next five years. This is equivalent to:

• Powering over 11,000 homes for one year
• The carbon sequestered by over 1.6 million tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

These efforts align with Akamai’s broader focus on sustainability by:

• Extending the lifecycle of existing hardware
• Minimizing the need for new resource extraction
• Reducing the carbon footprint of our delivery network