Goldman Sachs lays out 2025 operational goals for greener workplaces

Goldman Sachs set firm-level operational targets to be achieved by year-end 2025 that directly shape office design, on-site amenities and employee-facing sustainability benefits. The commitments on the firm’s Operational Goals page focus on energy, waste, materials and workplace features that influence daily employee experience and decisions about coming into the office.

Key performance targets include sourcing 80% renewable electricity through long-term power purchase agreements and on-site projects, achieving LEED Gold or equivalent certification for all new builds and major renovations, and cutting energy intensity by 20% measured in kWh per square foot. The goals also call for diverting 100% of business waste from landfill, reducing water intensity, cutting per-capita paper consumption by 30%, and removing single-use plastic beverage disposables from on-site cafeterias and micro-markets.

Those corporate targets are paired with workplace-level commitments aimed at employees. Major campuses are singled out for WELL and LEED certifications, with examples cited such as 200 West Street, the 150ORR Bengaluru campus, and the Hyderabad campus. Facilities investments include the Intelligent Building Platform and other building-operations upgrades designed to improve occupant comfort and efficiency. Employee-facing amenities called out on the page include dedicated bicycle storage and showers to support active commuting, and sustainable procurement practices for furniture along with e-waste recycling tied to office refurbishments.

The firm also linked sustainability to employee benefits, offering a U.S. renewable-energy benefit available via a third-party platform to help offset home energy footprints where available. Community engagement provisions focus on staff participation in a furniture donation program connected to office refurbishments and other internal programs intended to reduce waste and improve in-office wellness.

For workers, these commitments have practical implications. Upgraded amenities and certified buildings can change the calculus around hybrid work by making time on-site more comfortable and convenient. Bicycle storage, showers and reduced single-use plastics can alter commuting choices and day-to-day routines. Sustainable procurement and e-waste programs create new touchpoints between facilities teams and staff, while the renewable-energy benefit may be one of the first corporate offerings that links personal home energy use to employer sustainability goals.

As the calendar has moved past the 2025 target window, the next steps for employees will be whether these commitments translate into visible changes at their own desks and campuses. Implementation will determine if the goals shift workplace behavior, inform return-to-office planning, and become part of the firm’s employee value proposition going forward.