Wells Fargo is proud to be a supporting sponsor of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017. A diversified, community-based financial services company, Wells Fargo is committed to doing our part to accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon economy, to reduce the impacts of climate change, and to foster a culture of environmental stewardship in the communities where we live and work.
With nearly 100 million square feet of real estate under management, Wells Fargo is a recognized leader in operational efficiency, and we are on track to meet a number of ambitious sustainability goals, including major reductions in overall water use and greenhouse gas emissions across our footprint, and powering 100% of our global operations with renewable energy by the close of 2017. We are also a leader in financing clean technologies and renewable energy projects, having invested more than $70 billion in environmentally sustainable businesses since 2012. In 2016, projects owned in whole or in part by Wells Fargo produced more than 8% of all solar photovoltaic and wind energy generated in the United States.
We focus our environmental philanthropy on nurturing an ecosystem that helps innovative startup companies advance scalable clean technology solutions; supporting environmental education in our communities through STEM education and other programs; and partnering with local nonprofit organizations to engage our customers and communities in volunteer projects that will help them adapt to climate change, conserve resources, improve resource efficiency, reduce energy costs, and create jobs in the global "green economy."
The Solar Decathlon is a venue for the next generation of sustainability leaders to come together and share their respective visions for a more sustainable future through innovation, technology, and design. We congratulate everyone involved with this one-of-a-kind student competition, and we are grateful for their contributions to the health of our planet and the global clean-technology ecosystem.