According to calculations by China Environmental United Certification, Ant Group has cut its data centers’ electricity consumption by 640 megawatt-hours during this year’s Double 11 Global Shopping Festival from November 1 to November 11. The amount of electricity can support 820 people’s daily lives for one year, or power 2914 25-watt lamps for a year.

Ant Group has also reduced carbon emissions by 394 tons, equivalent to the daily emissions of about 30,000 gas and diesel cars, or emissions of producing 85.6 million sheets of paper.

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According to Ant Group, it has utilized innovative computing technologies, including online-offline hybrid deployment, cloud-native time-shared scheduling and AI-based auto scaling. Such technology allows data centers to boost its efficiency and ensure applications have access to the computing power they need, while avoiding servers running idle.

As a result, data centers can support more business demands with fewer servers, minimize wasted electricity, and reduce energy intensity.

“We not only pay attention to the capacity of our computing system, but also its energy efficiency, and are always committed to developing and deploying more and more innovative green computing technologies,” said Ni Xingjun, Chief Technology Officer of Ant Group.

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According to Ant Group, it has been trying to improve its data centers' operational efficiency since 2019, and has more than doubled its data centers’ server utilization rate.

During the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, Ant Group also launched several campaigns to encourage customers join them in going green. Ant Group’s MYbank enables merchants to shorten their accounts receivable turnover period for certified green products. Ant Forest, a tree-planting mini-program within the Alipay app, worked with brands and offered incentives to consumers for choosing energy-efficient home appliances.

Policymakers in China has previously set a goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. China’s State Council Information Office released a document titled "Responding to Climate Change: China's Policies and Actions" last month.

Tech giants in China have responded to the government’s goal and rolling out their own initiatives. In March 2021, Ant Group pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030. Tencent released an announcement in January, stating it has already cut its carbon emissions by laying eco-friendly tiles on its roofs, recycling heat and developing smart lighting systems, using AI and cloud computing technologies.