At OpenClassrooms, we’re dedicated to creating a service with the lowest impact possible on the planet. Any economic activity will use a number of ressources. However, in our reach for making education accessible for the highest number, we strive to improve the efficiency of our operations to maximize our impact while minimizing resource consumption.
What does it mean in practice?
Unlike industries with heavy reliance on physical infrastructure or transportation fleets, our activities primarily involve digital operations and services. This means our environmental impact primarily stems from our carbon footprint. Despite the absence of physical production processes, our digital operations still contribute to carbon emissions through energy consumption associated with data centers, server usage, and internet infrastructure.
It’s widely recognized that traditional, in-person higher education institutions generate approximately the equivalent of 1 ton of carbon per student - external link. In contrast, at OpenClassrooms, our carbon footprint per paying student is significantly lower, at 30.5 kg of CO2e. This figure marks a decrease from our initial carbon footprint assessment in 2020, when it stood at 34 kg of CO2e per paying student.
Over the past 3 years, we have implemented several initiatives aimed at reducing our carbon footprint.
These include:
→ implementing sustainable HR policies such as offering financial incentives for employees to use renewable energy providers for remote work, banning flights when alternative travel options, such as train or bus, are available for journeys lasting less than 5 hours, and encouraging the use of green mobility and public transportation;
→ adjusting the resolution of some of our videos to lower levels where possible, without compromising the quality of training;
→ relocating our headquarters to a green-certified building in Paris.
Additionally, we are committed to continuously improving our methodology for measuring and reporting our carbon footprint. We aim to implement a monthly carbon reporting system to closely monitor our environmental impact and identify further opportunities for reducing our carbon emissions.
30.5kg
CO2e per paying student in 2023
0.3 kg
CO2e per free user in 2023
0T
Scope 1
Direct emissions
→ fuel
985T
Scope 3
Indirect
emissions
2T
Scope 2
Direct emissions
→ electricity
| Purchase of goods and services | 141 |
|---|---|
| Energy from remote work | 94 |
| Work travel | 150 |
| Commute | 7 |
| Use of our product | 593 |
987 T CO2e