United Internet

United Internet, a post and telecommunication services company headquartered in Germany, has set ambitious climate commitments, including a long-term target to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% by 2045 compared to a 2023 base year. This translates to an absolute reduction of approximately 8,412 tonnes of CO2e. The company also aims for an interim reduction of 55% (approximately 5,141 tonnes of CO2e) in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by the end of 2030. These targets align with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement and are based on the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) methodology.

For the 2025 reporting year, United Internet reported total emissions of approximately 992,467 tonnes of CO2e. This figure comprises approximately 4,199 tonnes of CO2e for Scope 1 emissions and approximately 6,551.5 tonnes of CO2e for Scope 2 emissions (location-based). Scope 3 emissions accounted for the largest portion, totalling approximately 985,505 tonnes of CO2e. The dominant contributor within Scope 3 was purchased goods and services, at approximately 702,141 tonnes of CO2e, followed by capital goods at approximately 120,015 tonnes of CO2e.

In the 2024 reporting year, total emissions were approximately 1,136,242 tonnes of CO2e. Scope 1 emissions were approximately 6,498 tonnes of CO2e, and Scope 2 emissions (location-based) were approximately 75,798 tonnes of CO2e. Scope 3 emissions amounted to approximately 1,127,124 tonnes of CO2e, with purchased goods and services at approximately 723,944 tonnes of CO2e and capital goods at approximately 120,668 tonnes of CO2e.

For the 2023 reporting year, total emissions were approximately 1,125,380 tonnes of CO2e. Scope 1 emissions were approximately 6,241 tonnes of CO2e, and Scope 2 emissions (location-based) were approximately 64,750 tonnes of CO2e. Scope 3 emissions were approximately 1,116,033 tonnes of CO2e, with purchased goods and services at approximately 683,033 tonnes of CO2e and capital goods at approximately 169,918 tonnes of CO2e.

Earlier reporting years also show significant emission figures. In 2022, Scope 1 and 2 emissions totalled approximately 27,769 tonnes of CO2e, with Scope 1 at approximately 4,400 tonnes of CO2e and Scope 2 at approximately 23,369 tonnes of CO2e. Data for Scope 3 emissions was not fully disclosed for 2022. For 2021, Scope 1 and 2 emissions were approximately 23,902 tonnes of CO2e, with Scope 1 at approximately 3,734 tonnes of CO2e and Scope 2 at approximately 20,168 tonnes of CO2e. Scope 3 data was also not fully disclosed for 2021.

United Internet is actively pursuing initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. For instance, 1&1 IONOS Holding's data centre operations have been climate-neutral since 2023, achieved through sourcing renewable electricity and offsetting non-renewable sources. Additionally, IONOS is a certified VMware Zero Carbon Committed Partner, aiming for emissions-free services and powering data centres with renewable energy by 2030. United Internet's management board and supervisory board have formally adopted these climate targets. The company's reporting scope primarily includes locations under its operational control, predominantly in Germany, with some exceptions in the USA and the Philippines.