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LONDON--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--[ Rackspace Hosting ] (NYSE: RAX), the [ open cloud ] company, has achieved certification to the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management standard. The certification is based upon an external validation of the companyas environmental performance with regard to the design, implementation and support of hosting solutions in its UK data centre and office operations.

"Achieving this standard helps to demonstrate how environmentally conscious we are"

ISO 14001 certification among cloud data centre providers is still comparatively rare and Rackspace continues to be environmentally proactive in improving its operations. Adherence to the voluntary 14000 or 14001 standards is evidence of Rackspaceas efforts to both improve and formally systematise the companyas environmental management efforts.

aWe work in an industry with its own particular energy challenges and as the world increasingly turns to hosted cloud solutions to meet its computing requirements, we have a heightened responsibility to ensure our solutions are architected, built and maintained in an environmentally responsible manner from the start,a said Paul Smith, Rackspace Compliance Programme Manager, aAchieving this standard helps to underpin our Global Sustainability Programme and focus the business on achieving our targets and objectives, not just in terms of energy but wherever we have an environmental impact.a

aWeare always looking for ever more creative ways of reducing our environmental footprint in pursuit of providing the greatest customer service -- and that goes all the way from the small day-to-day things like buying recycled stationary, through to plans to allow our customers to reward environmentally sound good causes when they buy and start experiencing our Fanatical Support,a he added.

As a result of implementing this programme, Rackspace completed an inventory of all emission sources and has now been able to reduce its carbon emissions by procuring 25% renewable energy worldwide.

aAchieving this standard helps to demonstrate how environmentally conscious we are,a said Tiffany Lathe, Rackspace Vice President Legal International and Executive Sponsor of the Rackspace programme a" aBesides renewable energy, this commitment also includes [ Rack Gives Back ], a volunteering programme dedicated to re-investing effort back into the wider community, which has recently been helping to clear the water and towpath of the Grand Union Canal in London - as well as working with partners and suppliers to reduce waste,a she added.

Certification to the ISO 14001 standard requires companies to identify and control the environmental impacts of their activities, products and services. ISO 14001 also requires companies to continually improve their environmental performance and implement a systematic approach to setting and achieving environmental targets and objective.