NetApp’s commitment to ESG impact: FY24 in review and bright future goals
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Nicola Acutt
When I was 11 years old, on a mountainside hike with my family, I noticed a brown cloud in the sky and asked my father what it was. “Pollution,” he said. In response, I told him that when I grew up, I was going to build a giant vacuum cleaner to suck all of that pollution out of the sky. And from that moment on, I was determined to make a difference.
Today, I am proud to be chief sustainability officer at NetApp. It’s an exciting time to join NetApp as we turn our attention to building the intelligent data infrastructure of the future that is resilient and sustainable. Building on the NetApp® legacy of environmental and social responsibility, we are proud to release NetApp’s FY24 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Impact Report. The report showcases our progress on our sustainability journey. From ambitious decarbonization targets and cutting-edge innovations to impactful changes in packaging and community engagement, FY24 was a year of growth that laid the groundwork for even greater strides in the future. I encourage you to take a deep dive into the full ESG Impact Report.
A year of milestones
FY24 was marked by significant milestones in our decarbonization journey. NetApp has committed to reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 42%, and we are proud to share that we have already reduced these emissions by 37% compared to our 2020 baseline. This accomplishment is a direct result of our continued focus on energy efficiency and our investment in renewable energy, which increased by an impressive 144%. Our Scope 3 emissions have also reduced in intensity by 19% since our 2020 baseline.
Equally important are the innovations that help our customers align to their own sustainability and security goals. Our new services in NetApp BlueXP and SnapCenter® enable better data management, and they also enable our customers to reduce energy consumption while maintaining high standards of data security. These solutions reflect the power of intelligent data infrastructures by helping organizations achieve more with fewer environmental impacts.
In addition to energy and emissions, NetApp’s commitment to environmental responsibility extends to our packaging and products. This year, we continued our efforts to overhaul packaging across our product lines, working to integrate more sustainable materials and designs. Additionally, tools like the BlueXP sustainability dashboard give our customers the insights they need to make informed decisions that align with both their business objectives and their environmental goals.
People and culture: Core to our success
Sustainability is deeply rooted in NetApp’s commitment to people. One of our core values is caring for each other and our communities. This year, we introduced new onboarding programs and enhanced our internal job marketplace, giving employees more opportunities for career development and mentorship. As a result, 22% of our new hires came from internal talent, a testament to our investment in helping our people grow.
Our focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) continues to be a priority. This year, we launched several initiatives to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups, including scholarship programs and partnerships like the STEM Reentry Task Force, which helps create pathways for professionals who are reentering the workforce. We also tied executive compensation to DEI&B outcomes, ensuring accountability at the highest levels of the company. These efforts have been recognized externally, with Newsweek naming NetApp one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity.
NetApp is also committed to empowering future generations. This year, our data and AI literacy initiatives engaged 90,435 students, inspiring the next wave of innovators and leaders. By providing these opportunities, we are not only fostering talent, we’re also contributing to a more equitable and data-literate future.
Looking ahead: The next chapter of sustainability
As we look ahead, we plan to further integrate sustainability into every aspect of our business. We anticipate that sustainability reporting will transition from voluntary to mandatory, and we are prepared to lead in the adoption of new regulations and standards. A key area of focus will be circularity in our product design and supply chain, prioritizing products that reduce waste and contribute to a circular economy. Our goal is to create data infrastructure solutions that meet business demands and also align with global sustainability goals.
A call to action
Sustainability is not just a goal at NetApp—it’s a responsibility shared by all of us. I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made, but I’m even more excited about what lies ahead. NetApp’s next chapter is one where sustainability is central to everything we do, driving growth, innovation, and long-term impact. Let’s embrace this opportunity and continue building a better, more sustainable world together.
Dive deep into NetApp’s FY24 ESG Impact Report.
Nicola Acutt
Nicola Acutt is an experienced sustainability professional with 20+ years of leadership at the intersection of business, technology, and sustainability. Nicola joined NetApp as its first chief sustainability officer in June 2024. In this newly created role, she focuses on integrating sustainability into strategy and operations, driving decarbonization across the value chain, and building a sustainable approach to intelligent data infrastructure. Before NetApp, Nicola was chief sustainability officer at VMware. She completed her BS degree at the University of California, Berkeley, and was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to complete a PhD at the University of East Anglia in the UK.
