Upwork Global Environmental Policy 

Upwork Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Upwork,” “we,” or “our”) recognize climate change and environmental degradation as an existential threat, and we seek to be part of the solution. We will continue to incorporate sustainable practices into our operations, identify environmental opportunities within our business strategy, and foster environmental awareness among our team members. We are committed to setting—and working to achieve—robust environmental performance targets as part of our environmental strategy and will continue to seek ways to increase resource use efficiency and decrease waste, as we grow and evolve. 

Compliance 

Upwork follows the law and will comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. 

Oversight

The Nominating and Governance Committee of Upwork’s Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing Upwork’s environmental strategy and performance. The day-to-day management of our environmental programs is the responsibility of our Sustainability and Impact team, with input from the Sustainability and Impact Task Force, a cross-departmental committee made up of senior leaders and subject matter experts across the company. 

Transparency 

We will disclose our environmental commitments and the quantitative data relevant to our environmental performance through annual reporting. We will maintain transparency on the environmental risks and opportunities that affect our business and our environmental oversight and governance programs. We will disclose information about our environmental targets and progress toward those targets and strive to align our environmental disclosures with internationally accepted standards and frameworks. This includes reporting our emissions to CDP). Specific metrics that we intend to measure year over year include, but are not limited to, Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; electricity consumption; and the portion of our consumed electricity that is carbon free; natural gas consumption; the quantity of electronic waste produced and the portion that is recycled and/or recovered; and estimates for water consumption and overall waste to landfill.

Emissions 

Upwork has taken early actions to curb the GHG emissions stemming from its operations. We are committed to operating as a carbon neutral company and have achieved carbon neutral operations since 2019, when we began quantifying emissions. Our approach to reducing emissions is focused on operational efficiency, procuring renewable electricity, and purchasing carbon dioxide removals and other offsets to account for the emissions we cannot avoid. Since 2019, Upwork’s Scope 1 & 2 market-based emissions have steadily declined and we hope to maintain this progress even as we grow. In 2024, we set an emissions intensity reduction target focused on reducing emissions per employee by 50% against our 2019 baseline. We have also taken steps to quantify and reduce our Scope 3 emissions, and are committed to offsetting all business travel, employee commuting, and remote work emissions that we cannot avoid. Upwork is committed to purchasing high-quality energy attribute certificates and carbon offsets that are externally verified and meet international standards for additionality.  

Energy

Upwork has sourced 100% of the electricity that powers its offices from carbon-free sources since 2019, either through direct energy contracts with local suppliers or unbundled energy attribute certificates. In 2023, Upwork committed to this practice for both our offices and remote work, meaning that going forward, we will source carbon-free energy to cover 100% of our offices’ electricity consumption as well as the electricity we estimate our team uses to work remotely   

Resource Efficiency and Waste

We will improve resource use efficiency whenever possible. This includes taking steps to measure and reduce our consumption of natural resources, when applicable, and avoiding the use of unnecessary or inefficient goods and services. Due to the nature of our business, Upwork uses very little water and does not have operational control over waste water treatment. Nonetheless, Upwork will seek to manage water use through the use of sub-meters, motion sensors, flow restrictors, and other efficiency tools, whenever possible. Similarly, Upwork’s operations do not produce hazardous waste, with the exception of minimal electronic waste. Since 2021, Upwork has partnered with external vendors to donate or recycle any electronic equipment that has reached the end of its usable life for the company, including laptops, monitors, keyboards, cables, and other hardware. We are committed to doing so going forward and to accurately tracking the quantity of e-waste we divert away from landfill. We will effectively manage office equipment and will reduce waste to landfill by seeking pre-owned equipment and reusing, recycling, or composting the products we purchase, whenever possible.

Effective Management 

Upwork’s Sustainability and Impact strategy is overseen by Upwork’s Chief Business Affairs and General Counsel and the Nominating and Governance Committee of Upwork’s Board of Directors. Upwork’s Sustainability and Impact Task Force, made up of senior leaders across the company, helps to develop and implement the company’s sustainability strategy, which includes environmental targets and commitments, operating procedures and policies, and reporting practices. Upwork maintains  internal management systems and procedures to effectively assess environmental risks and opportunities, as well as track, evaluate, and improve our environmental performance. This includes but is not limited to Upwork’s annual Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program. Environmental targets and objectives are evaluated on an annual basis to ensure they remain appropriate and achievable and information on Upwork’s climate-related governance, strategy, risk management, and targets will be reported annually. Upwork’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions are audited and verified by a third party on an annual basis.

Team Members 

Upwork’s policies and commitments are nothing without the understanding, buy-in, and cooperation of our employees and the independent talent we engage for internal projects. We are committed to raising environmental awareness among our workforce and encouraging them to incorporate our environmental goals into their day-to-day work. We will engage our team members in programs designed to celebrate and protect the natural environment. 

Business Partners 

We will engage our suppliers, clients, and other business partners to decrease environmental risks and negative impacts across our supply chain and value chain. This includes consideration of environmental factors when procuring goods and services and assessing the environmental performance of our suppliers. We seek opportunities to collaborate with our suppliers, customers, and other business partners on sustainability initiatives to bolster any shared environmental goals. 

For further information about our environmental programs and performance, visit Upwork’s Reports Hub at www.upwork.com/about/our-impact/reports-hub.