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eBay has announced its first greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, saying its committed to reduce emissions 15 percent by 2012, over a 2008 baseline.

eBay said it will reach its goal through an ongoing commitment to energy efficiency and conservation along with its continuing investment in renewable energy. It will promote more sustainable behavior tied to travel and personal energy use among its 15,000 employees.

 "eBay continues to demonstrate our long-term commitment to responsible energy use and environmental leadership with our first greenhouse gas emissions reduction target," said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe.

"As a company whose business continues to grow year over year, we recognize that the goal is ambitious, but we're confident that it is achievable."

The company says it has a relatively small carbon footprint with the majority of its environmental impact coming from energy used by its data centers. In 2010, eBay is set to unveil a new "green" data center that will house more than a third of its global data infrastructure.

Last year, eBay opened a 197,000 square foot office building in San Jose, which features a 650 kW solar installation and has been LEED Gold certified. The company plans a fuel cell strategy for early 2010.