As Sustainability Director for North America at Vantage Data Centers, Emily Backus drives regional sustainability strategy from end-to-end; including new site development, design, construction, and operations. She supports strategy development for the company’s global sustainability goals, including net zero by 2030, and translates them to regionally-specific targets, action plans, and reporting. Emily collaborates with teams across the company to build strategy, programs, and processes to create meaningful climate and sustainability impacts.

In her previous role as Commitment to Zero Program Manager for Vail Resorts, Emily Backus drove ambitious sustainability goals across a network of 41 resorts in 4 countries; coordinating with teams throughout the company working to achieve the company’s 2030 goals of zero net emissions, zero waste to landfill, and zero net impact on forests and habitat. She also led communications on Vail Resorts' sustainability programs, including the annual EpicPromise Progress Report. She previously worked for the City & County of Denver supporting businesses on energy and waste, and consulted for the National Park Service. Emily is a graduate of Cornell University.