Digital Reality has picked up Nareit's 2017 data center Leader in the Light award in recognition of the company's sustainability and energy-efficiency achievements.

Presented at an award ceremony in Dallas, Nareit's Leader in the Light awards honor Nareit member companies that have produced superior, measurable results from the implementation of sustainable business practices.

According to Digital Realty, the data center company procures approximately 400,000 megawatt-hours of wind power annually.

Digital Reality offsets 100% of its U.S. colocation and interconnection energy usage, which the company says reduces its carbon footprint by approximately 275,000 metric tons per year.

Moreover, Digital Reality claims the environmental benefits from this agreement will have an impact comparable to taking 58,000 cars off the road each year, or offsetting the carbon emissions from 29,000 U.S. homes per year.

"We are grateful to be recognized by our industry's preeminent trade group for our sustainability achievements," comments Digital Realty chief executive officer A. William Stein.

"As leaders in an energy-intensive industry, we view it as our duty to prioritize and champion environmental stewardship and responsible business practices."

Digital Realty director of sustainability Aaron Binkley adds, "As a hub of the modern digital economy, the quality of our data centers plays a crucial role in determining the overall energy efficiency of our customers' businesses.

“We are honored to provide our customers a responsible solution to their data center needs that significantly reduces the environmental impact of their operations."

The 2017 Nareit Leader in the Light awards includes 10 categories. Beyond the data center award, the ceremony also celebrated winners in the retail, office, industrial, healthcare and lodging and resort space.

Digital Realty has also been recognized by the US EPA for its sustainability leadership, ranking sixth on its 2017 list of the top 30 green power users in the technology and telecom industries.

Digital Realty supports the data center and colocation strategies of more than 2300 firms across Asia, Australia, North America and Europe.

The company's customer base includes companies of all sizes, ranging from cloud and information technology services and gaming to financial services and consumer products.