Iron Mountain® Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the global leader in storage and information management services, today announced two important environmental commitments that significantly advance the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and increase its usage of renewable energy around the world.

Firstly, Iron Mountain is joining the RE100 initiative, a collaborative, global platform developed by The Climate Group, an independent, not-for-profit organization working internationally with government and business leaders to advance smart policies and technologies to cut global emissions and accelerate a low carbon economy. Iron Mountain joins more than 130 multinational corporations in committing to a shift to using renewable energy sources for 100 percent of its worldwide electricity. In doing so, Iron Mountain pledges to follow a rigorous standard for green power purchasing and achieving aggressive interim milestones on the way to a complete conversion by 2050.

Secondly, Iron Mountain announced its commitment to set an aggressive science-based target for carbon reduction by the end of 2019. In doing so, the company will work with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which helps companies determine how much they must cut emissions to do their part to address climate change, to calculate and approve a reduction in carbon from current levels. This promise puts the company on a trajectory for decarbonizing its operations in line with the global goals of the Paris Climate Accord.

“We applaud Iron Mountain for taking these important steps to address climate change,” said Mindy Lubber, CEO and president of Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. “By committing to 100 percent renewable electricity and setting an ambitious science-based carbon-reduction target, Iron Mountain is joining a growing number of major companies that understand the huge economic benefits and clear competitive advantage of climate action.”

In Iron Mountain’s recently released 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report, the company reports achieving an absolute reduction of 6.6 percent in year-over-year carbon emissions – even during a period of continued business growth and service expansion. Iron Mountain is also a member of several collaborative efforts to advance the use of renewable energy including the renewable energy buyer’s alliance (REBA) a collaboration of World Wildlife Fund, World Resource Initiative, Rocky Mountain Institute and Business for Social Responsibility. The company is a signatory to the Renewable Energy Buyers Principals, a member of the EPA Green Power Partnership and recipient of the 2017 Green Power Leadership Award.

“We’re proud to be among the earliest adopters of renewable energy,” said William Meaney, president and chief executive officer of Iron Mountain. “Understanding the impact of our energy usage has led to the adoption of energy and greenhouse gas reduction strategies that are helping the company save money, reduce environmental impacts and better serve our customers. In making these commitments today, we are setting aggressive public goals with the endorsement of well-respected non-profit organizations, accelerating our efforts to foster strong economic growth while operating as a responsible, ethical and sustainable company.”

This article has been updated to reflect that President Trump has in fact given the order rather than just considering it.

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Well, that’s not very free market of him.

In a move that made George Gilder do a spit take, President Donald J. Trump has ordered the Energy Department to instruct grid operators to purchase electricity from failing coal and nuclear plants in an effort to keep such faltering plants alive and well, according to the Associated Press.

Earlier today, Bloomberg indicated such a move might be imminent, citing a memo it reviewed that previewed the action the Energy Department has now been ordered to take, using its power under the Federal Power Act – Section 202 powers, to be exact.

At the time, Bloomberg called the move “an unprecedented intervention into U.S. Energy markets,” in the master-of-understatement style for which they are known. The news organization quoted from the memo that argues:

“Federal action is necessary to stop the further premature retirements of fuel-secure generation capacity.”

The phrases “premature retirements” is the key one in the memo, as it has long been policy of this president to try to prop up failing nuclear and coal plants by any means necessary. It was what was behind the study Secretary of Energy Rick Perry ordered shortly after his appointment into the importance of “baseload power” and the completely arbitrary idea that electrical generation facilities must have 90 days of reserve power on site.

The study was expected to find that an increase in coal and nuclear plants were necessary. When it didn’t, Perry ordered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a rule that would have provided for bailouts of failing nuclear and coal plants. FERC respectfully declined.

Which is why the ball has landed back in the Department of Energy’s court, and they appear to be on the verge of simply ordering grid operators to buy power from these plants to provide the plant operators with a financial bailout orchestrated by the federal government.

It’s no shock that this action could be coming. After all, it was President Trump who stood in front of West Virginia coal miners and offered them the impossible dream of bringing coal jobs back to the United States, despite the electricity market – including a majority of utilities – voting against such a move with their market-based plans to close the plants instead. To fulfill his campaign promise, the only way to save those jobs is to rig the system in favor of coal plants.

Bloomberg notes the order is only a draft and has not been finally decided yet, but it’s hard to imagine a circumstance under which the president wouldn’t manipulate the market this way to allow him to claim victory in the mythical “war on coal.”

More:

Trump orders ‘immediate steps’ to boost coal, nuclear plants (Associated Press)

Trump Prepares Lifeline for Money-Losing Coal Power Plants (Bloomberg)