An update on environmental sustainability at Airbnb

Key Takeaways

• In 2021, we committed to a goal to operate as a net zero company by the end of 2030.
• We are sharing an update on our progress, including our efforts to reduce our corporate emissions, expand our carbon credit purchases and help our Hosts and guests take more sustainable actions.
• In 2022, Airbnb’s corporate, absolute emissions were lower than they were in 2019, our baseline year.

At Airbnb, we believe addressing climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our generation and that businesses play a key role in helping to achieve a stable climate. We also believe that striving for more sustainable operations—and helping our Hosts and guests become more sustainable —helps us increase business efficiency, reduce energy costs, and create a more resilient and sustainable company and community.

In 2021, we committed to operating as a net zero company by the end of 2030 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with our corporate operations¹ and addressing our residual emissions by investing in quality solutions, including nature-based projects. Today, we are sharing an update on our progress, including our efforts to identify the largest sources of our corporate emissions and reduce them in line with the Paris Agreement.² Our new Sustainability and Community Update also details our work outside of our net zero goal, including efforts to empower Airbnb Hosts and guests to adopt more sustainable practices. Highlights include:

• Reducing emissions. Airbnb’s corporate, absolute emissions were approximately 17 percent lower in 2022 than they were in 2019, which serves as our baseline year, and lower than our annual science-based target.  
• Working with suppliers. Like many companies, Airbnb’s suppliers represent the largest portion of our emissions.³ We are working with suppliers to address these emissions through the Airbnb Supplier Sustainability Program. To date, we have engaged nearly 70 suppliers, representing approximately 61 percent of Airbnb’s 2022 corporate emissions, in the first phase of this program. 
• Investing in nature: We expanded and diversified our carbon credit purchases, as well as increased our purchases from nature-based emissions removal projects.
• Helping our Hosts: With energy prices contributing to the rising cost of living, we launched pilot programs across the UK, France and the United States to help our Hosts make their homes more energy efficient, with the goal of reducing their carbon footprints and leading to long-term savings on their bills. Thousands of Hosts have engaged with these programs so far and we are working to find additional opportunities to help more Hosts improve the energy efficiency of their homes around the world.

While we are pleased with our progress to date, we look forward to continuing our work to make our company and our community more sustainable.

Our Sustainability and Community Update also includes updates on our efforts to foster a diverse workforce and inclusive company culture, build trust, keep our community safe,  protect our Hosts’ and guests’ privacy, and strengthen the communities our Hosts and guests call home.

Read the full report here: Sustainability and Community Update.

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¹Including Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions associated with our corporate operations as outlined in our Sustainability and Community Update (see page 2 for a list of the Scope 3 categories measured and included within this goal).

²Airbnb’s emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. According to SBTi, the targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from Airbnb’s operations (Scopes 1 and 2) are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5°C, what the latest climate science has told us is needed to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change. Airbnb’s target for the emissions from our value chain (Scope 3 for corporate operations) meet the SBTi’s criteria for ambitious value chain goals, meaning they are in line with current best practice.

³In 2022, supplier emissions (Scope 3, Category 1) accounted for approximately 96 percent of our corporate emissions.

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.