Throwing Light on Adobe’s Sustainability Efforts and the Climate Action Commitment

Today, sustainability is non-negotiable. Because of various environmental, social, and economic factors, it has become increasingly important for brands and businesses. Far more than just a strategic imperative, modern businesses know they have a duty to be part of the solution and find greener and more efficient ways of operating in a rapidly changing world. But this can’t rest on empty promises. Business leaders must step up their commitment to cut down on emissions and waste.

Adobe is one such company that is working with employees to foster a culture of sustainability throughout the business. Adobe’s commitment to sustainability and climate action is evident through its product offerings, operations, partnerships and advocacy efforts. And the prominent shift from physical to digital has naturally made Adobe a sustainability champion, with some impressive stats to back that up. Let’s have a look at the kind of initiatives the company has taken till date.

Adobe Document Cloud

As a pioneer in the paper-to-digital transformation, Document Cloud continues to have a real and measurable impact on the environment globally. Document Cloud enables millions of businesses and individuals worldwide to have paperless productivity.

• Most Fortune 500 companies, government organizations, small businesses, and millions of individuals use Document Cloud’s digital document and e-signature solutions instead of paper-based processes daily.   
• Documents created, signed, shared, and stored in Document Cloud drive a 95% reduction in environmental impact compared with paper-based processes. 
• Estimates show that paper-to-digital workflows powered by Document Cloud eliminate over 2.5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas annually in the U.S. alone.

Adobe Substance 3D

Adobe Substance 3D is a suite of 3D design software that allows users to create and manipulate 3D objects, textures, and materials. The software includes several tools for creating realistic 3D objects for games, films, and other visual media.

Investments in Adobe’s 3D design tools are helping brands like HUGO BOSS advance their sustainability goals by transforming physical product manufacturing to highly efficient digital workflows. This tool helps companies reduce their carbon footprint by an average of 98% compared to traditional photoshoots while also saving time and money. 

Carbon Footprint and Resource Saver Calculators

In collaboration with the Environmental Defence Fund and the Environmental Paper Network, Adobe developed the Resource Saver Calculator. This useful tool enables customers to understand how Adobe Document Cloud can help make their business more sustainable by saving time, resources, emissions, and costs. According to Adobe’s Calculator estimation, for every 1 million pages signed daily via Adobe Acrobat Sign, more than 27 million gallons of water, 1.5 million pounds of waste, and 23.4 million pounds of CO2 emissions are avoided. The savings from the CO2 emissions are equivalent to taking 5 million cars off the road.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud enables you to create and edit digital multimedia assets with industry-leading tools that provide the de facto standard in media editing and creation. Most applications install right on your computer and allow you to work on your digital media at your convenience. Some web-based tools (e.g., Spark, Portfolio) are also available and require Internet access.

With Adobe Creative Cloud, brands can leverage 3D and Augmented Reality (AR) tools for digital prototyping and photorealistic content. For example, Tara Pixley — a visual journalist and journalism professor — is using Adobe Creative Cloud tools to create a multimedia website spotlighting the environmental impact of refineries on local communities for her upcoming project, ‘Immersed in Oil’.

LEED-certified building

Adobe has demonstrated leadership in energy efficiency and renewable energy practices through the grand opening of ‘Founders Tower’ in January 2023, the newest (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED-certified building at San Jose headquarters. It’s the first all-electric building of its scale powered by 100% renewable energy in Silicon Valley.

Other Adobe efforts toward sustainability

Adobe has accelerated the 100 percent renewable electricity goal from 2035 to 2025 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Moreover, in 2022, Adobe declared new water and waste reduction commitments, including a 25 percent reduction in global water usage per full-time employee by 2025 (from a 2019 baseline) while maintaining a 90 percent global waste diversion rate.

That’s not all! Adobe works with customers, industry peers, and partners — like Ceres and the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) — to scale their reach and drive impact on climate policy. For example, Adobe participated in LEAD on Climate, an event that brought together companies and investors to call on the U.S. Congress to act on climate and accelerate the transition to clean energy.

To short, Adobe has always been at the forefront of technology, defining what is possible for design and creativity. They frequently top the list for leadership in Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG).

The role of CTOs in sustainable technology solutions

CTOs play a vital role in leading the sustainable technology movement.  By aligning business strategies with technology demands, CTOs can drive the transition towards reducing carbon footprints and fostering net-zero goals. Through collaboration, knowledge empowerment, and strategic planning, tech leaders can address social and environmental issues. Moreover, by promoting digital literacy programs, sustainability initiatives, and responsible technology usage, they can empower employees and other individuals to create a better future for the organizations and the planet as a whole.

In brief

The digital world runs on Adobe products and as a technology leader, the brand always tries to scale its sustainability efforts and impact by innovating and delivering new products and solutions.