Pina Earth x STRATO
Being part of the IT industry not only means contributing to the fight against climate change but also recognizing one's own responsibility. By partnering with Pina Earth, web hosting provider STRATO goes beyond its own reduction measures to make a valuable climate contribution in Germany: Innovative technology helps to quantify and enhance the CO₂ storage capacity of biodiverse mixed forests.
With over 4 million domains and more than 2 million customer contracts, STRATO is one of the largest web hosting providers in Europe. Founded in Berlin in 1997, the company now employs around 500 people and operates two TÜV-certified data centers with over 100,000 physical and virtual servers in Berlin and Karlsruhe.
As part of the IT industry, STRATO finds itself in a dynamic relationship with sustainability. Data centers consume energy, and computer hardware requires valuable resources. At the same time, the company leverages digital solutions and innovative technologies to reduce CO₂ emissions.
"Digitalization is advancing in almost every aspect of life, which naturally impacts our industry as well. With increasing demand, we need more resources, especially electricity. However, at STRATO, we don’t just see ourselves as part of the problem—we strive to be part of the solution. The IT sector should play a key role in the fight against climate change, and we want to lead by example, showing that IT and climate protection go hand in hand. That’s why we are fully committed to driving the development of new technologies and data-driven solutions within our sphere of influence to explore new opportunities for effective climate action and continuously reduce our ecological footprint.” — Aisha Petter, Managing Director of STRATO.
Taking responsibility for the future of society is a core value of STRATO’s corporate philosophy. As early as 2008, STRATO switched its data centers to 100% renewable electricity. But that was just the beginning. In 2015, an ISO 50001-certified energy management system was implemented to continuously improve energy efficiency. Since 2022, the company’s offices at a new, energy-efficient, and climate-friendly location have also been powered by renewable energy. In 2023, STRATO introduced an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system to further integrate sustainability into its broader operations.
STRATO has adopted a wide range of reduction measures in its data centers and collaborations with service providers. For instance, caching solutions are installed to temporarily store frequently accessed data, reducing the need to keep backup servers constantly running while making information retrieval faster. Additionally, STRATO’s data centers combine fresh air cooling with traditional cooling systems, optimizing energy use. In areas where it makes sense, liquid cooling is also employed to lower energy consumption and reduce CO₂ emissions. Unlike traditional air-cooled systems, this method circulates a special cooling liquid directly through server units, efficiently dissipating heat.
Beyond its internal sustainability initiatives, STRATO actively supports climate protection projects, with a strong focus on regional impact within Germany.
"Climate action is a global priority, and there are many important projects worth supporting. When selecting partners, STRATO prioritized finding a project that is not just an abstract initiative happening 'somewhere overseas'—it needed to be something tangible and relevant to the lives of our customers, delivering real local benefits. That’s why Pina Earth is a perfect match. As a project developer in Germany, Pina Earth is also an innovation leader in technology. Their mission aligns with ours: to leverage technology effectively and purposefully—in this case, to drive impactful climate protection.” — Frank Zopp, Press Spokesperson at STRATO.
STRATO is supporting the transformation of the Lake Kessel project into a climate-resilient mixed forest over several years. Located just 25 km from STRATO’s headquarters in Berlin, this project focuses on converting 100 hectares of monoculture pine forest in Brandenburg into a natural, species-rich continuous forest.
The additional CO₂ storage capacity is quantified through Pina Earth’s technology-based approach in three steps:
STRATO can track the progress of the project "Lake Kessel" in real-time through Pina Earth’s Forest Dashboard. This platform provides:
By leveraging data-driven monitoring and digital certification, Pina Earth ensures that STRATO's climate contribution is measurable, transparent, and verifiable.
