Meta has formally departed RE100, the high-profile global corporate pledge aimed at sourcing 100 per cent of electricity from renewable sources, the social media organisation confirmed. Managed by the UK-based non-profit Climate Group, the initiative counts over 400 major corporations among its members, including technology industry peers such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Meta, which originally joined the pledge in 2016, is no longer listed on the group’s official register following reporting first published by industry outlet Recharge News.
The departure occurs amidst an aggressive expansion of data centre infrastructure across the technology sector to support artificial intelligence and cloud computing demands. To meet escalating energy needs, Meta has contracted with utility providers to construct new natural gas power generation assets, including ten gas units designated to supply its Hyperion data centre in Louisiana.
A spokesperson for Meta said that the business remains committed to expanding its renewable energy investments, adding that leaving RE100 does not alter its internal objective to match overall power consumption with clean energy sources. The company has maintained an annualised matching target since 2020 through long-term power purchase agreements with renewable energy providers.
However, Climate Group representatives confirmed that Meta’s recent power generation strategy no longer complies with the coalition’s standards. A spokesperson for Climate Group explained that following detailed discussions, Meta chose to withdraw because its investments in new natural gas power plants prevent it from meeting the initiative’s strict technical criteria.
Whilst natural gas emits fewer carbon emissions during combustion than coal, the extraction and transport processes generate significant emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The extraction method of hydraulic fracturing also presents potential groundwater contamination risks, alongside local air quality impacts from burning fossil fuels.
Meta’s strategic shift reflects wider trends across the hyperscale tech sector as firms struggle to secure continuous baseload power solely from variable renewable sources. Microsoft recently finalized an agreement with Chevron to supply natural gas-generated electricity to a data centre facility in West Texas, whilst Google has similarly been linked to natural gas power agreements in recent industry reports.
