Akamai remains fundamentally focused on evolving our distributed infrastructure to support long-term sustainability goals. By continuously exploring opportunities to enhance resource utilization and responsibly manage our hardware footprint, we aim to balance operational efficiencies with environmental considerations. Rather than relying on rigid, centralized models, our approach seeks to maximize the utility of our existing architecture. The following sections provide an overview of our ongoing efforts, strategic direction, and progress in these areas.

Software Example 1: Optimizing CPU Efficiency

Akamai optimized our core edge server operating system kernel, significantly enhancing CPU efficiency and accelerating data processing across our global network. This was achieved by:

• Deploying a global kernel optimization to streamline how software interacts with physical hardware platforms.
• Improving flit-to-bit efficiency by up to 8.5% for security traffic processing and 3.5% for content delivery networks.
• Enhancing processing efficiency across one of our primary SSD configurations used under real-world operational loads.

Environmental Impact

Reduced Hardware Demand

Avoided the acquisition and deployment of approximately 1,100 new edge servers.

Avoided CO2 Emissions

Achieved a projected reduction of over approximately 19,600 metric tons of carbon emissions equivalency over the next five years.

Resource Efficiency

Lowered global infrastructure demand and capital expenditures, translating directly to reduced raw material extraction, manufacturing, and supply chain emissions from avoided hardware production.

Software Example 2: Optimizing Internal Traffic Routing

By restructuring network architecture in our largest metro hubs, Akamai optimized internal network traffic routing, lowering the physical hardware footprint required to sustain global delivery demands. This was achieved by:

• Initiating a consolidation project to streamline internal traffic paths across major global metropolitan deployment zones.
• Expanding regional delivery capacity within the newly optimized large regions.
• Maximizing existing infrastructure capabilities to enable traffic growth without increasing infrastructure procurement.

Environmental Impact

Reduced Hardware Demand

Avoided the procurement and deployment of approximately 100 edge servers.

Avoided CO2e Emissions

Achieved a projected reduction of approximately 1,000 metric tons of carbon emissions equivalency over the next five years, driven by optimized hardware and network architecture footprints.

Supply Chain Efficiency

Decreased lifecycle demand for server manufacturing, transport, and eventual decommissioning.

Environmental Benefits

Across both initiatives, Akamai projects a total 20,600 metric ton (MT CO₂e) reduction in emissions over the next five years. This is equivalent to:

• Powering over 4,000 homes for one year
• The carbon sequestered by over 340,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years

These efforts align with Akamai’s broader focus on sustainability by:

• Extending the lifecycle of existing hardware
• Minimizing the need for new resource extraction
• Reducing the carbon footprint of our delivery and security networks