We continuously evaluate our impact programs and priorities, and set targets to track our progress. Explore our 2025 and 2030 goals.
IMPACT REPORT
IMPACT REPORT
We strive to lead the way for meaningful ecommerce.
At eBay, our goal is to make selling and buying equitable, attainable and sustainable.
We’re creating a more sustainable future for our global community.
eBay exists to connect people and build communities to empower economic opportunity for all. As a core part of that mission, we’re committed to helping people make more meaningful choices for their purchases and businesses. From our start more than 25 years ago, we’ve championed recommerce, promoting a healthier planet and economy through the selling and buying of pre-loved goods on our marketplace. At the same time, we’re making key strides toward our own climate goals — and weaving sustainability throughout our company culture and giving efforts.
I’m proud of all the ways our team innovates on behalf of our sellers and buyers. That focus on customer success fuels everything we do. Which is why I’m so hopeful about what we can achieve together as we continue to lead the way forward, creating a more sustainable future for our global community.
Impact at eBay
Explore our initiatives and programs.
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Economic Opportunity
We empower entrepreneurs by providing them with access to a vast marketplace, allowing them to sell globally and grow locally — all while keeping their communities intact and thriving. Our business model is centered around inclusive entrepreneurship for everyone.
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Sustainable Commerce
We strive to sustain the future of our customers, community and planet. We track and quantify our environmental footprint while embracing recommerce and sustainable business practices, which allows us to continue to operate with integrity.
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Culture and Workforce
We seek diverse perspectives, foster an inclusive work environment and train our leaders to help each employee succeed at eBay based on their unique talents, contributions and ambitions.
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Trusted Marketplace
We shape our marketplace based on the strong ethical values we follow as a business: openness, honesty, integrity and trust.
Overview
Issues Material to eBay
In 2022, we partnered with GlobeScan, an independent research and advisory firm, to update and expand our sustainability materiality assessment, prioritizing the most salient issues to sustainability and to our business. The update included adjusting the matrix’s axes to incorporate impact outwards on the environment and society (y-axis) and impact inwards on our business and financial success (x-axis), incorporating additional data sources like external frameworks; environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings; consumer insights; and peer benchmarking. Input for this update involved a much larger variety of stakeholders, including eBay employees, external subject matter experts, relevant NGOs and more. The results from this materiality update inform eBay’s sustainability strategy, initiatives and goals.
Sustainability Materiality Matrix
Supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses is a key focus area at the heart of eBay’s business. Other high-priority material issues include ensuring seller transparency and buyer protections.
About this chart
This scatterplot illustrates sustainability issues material to eBay measured according to increasing business impact along the x-axis and increasing environmental and social impact along the y-axis. In this view, key issues related to economic opportunity are highlighted in green. Key issues with a low impact on our business, environment and society include censorship and free expression, corporate political responsibility and corporate voice on ESG issues. Key issues with a medium impact on our business, environment and society include leadership and board diversity and inclusion, accessibility of platform and seller community diversity and inclusion. Key issues with a high impact on our business, environment and society include employee diversity, equity and inclusion; supporting entrepreneurs and small business; seller transparency and buyer protections; and recommerce and sustainable consumption.
Sustainability Materiality Matrix
Recommerce and sustainable consumption are key focus areas at the heart of eBay’s business. Other high-priority material issues include managing our greenhouse gas emissions and energy footprint.
About this chart
This scatterplot illustrates sustainability issues material to eBay measured according to increasing business impact along the x-axis and increasing environmental and social impact along the y-axis. In this view, key issues related to sustainable commerce are highlighted in purple. Key issues with a low impact on our business, environment and society include water stewardship, operational waste, biodiversity and ecosystems, corporate voice on ESG issues and corporate political responsibility. Key issues with a medium impact on our business, environment and society include packing and shipping practices of sellers, accessibility of platform and vulnerabilities and resilience to climate and other global impacts. Key issues with a high impact on our business, environment and society include greenhouse gas emissions and energy footprint, supporting entrepreneurs and small business and recommerce and sustainable consumption.
Sustainability Materiality Matrix
High-priority material issues include promoting employee diversity, equity and inclusion; supporting employee health and wellbeing; and cultivating a strong company culture and employee retention rate.
About this chart
This scatterplot illustrates sustainability issues material to eBay measured according to increasing business impact along the x-axis and increasing environmental and social impact along the y-axis. In this view, key issues related to culture and workforce are highlighted in orange. Key issues with a low impact on our business, environment and society include corporate political responsibility and corporate voice on ESG issues. Key issues with a medium impact on our business, environment and society include leadership and board diversity and inclusion and talent employee pipeline. Key issues with a high impact on our business, environment and society include employee diversity, equity and inclusion; employee health and wellbeing; and employee culture and retention.
Sustainability Materiality Matrix
High-priority material issues include promoting cybersecurity and data privacy, ensuring seller transparency and buyer protections and upholding ethics and compliance in all that we do.
About this chart
This scatterplot illustrates sustainability issues material to eBay measured according to increasing business impact along the x-axis and increasing environmental and social impact along the y-axis. In this view, key issues related to trusted marketplace are highlighted in blue. Key issues with a low impact on our business, environment and society include censorship and free expression as well as tax policy and transparency. Key issues with a medium impact on our business, environment and society include transparency and disclosure; offensive, illegal or restricted items; harmful, unsafe or dangerous items; and vulnerability and resilience to climate and other global impacts. Key issues with a high impact on our business, environment and society include ethics and compliance, seller transparency and buyer protections and cybersecurity and data privacy.
Our Impact Goals
Seller Community
Meet the inspiring sellers who bring our marketplace to life.
eBay for Charity
Our platform helps charitable organizations reach their fundraising goals, and allows our customers to support the causes that are important to them.
eBay Foundation
We partner with nonprofit organizations around the world to advance inclusive and equitable entrepreneurship for people and communities.
Recommerce
Through the selling and buying of pre-loved and refurbished goods, we create real change for the environment by extending the life of items and avoiding carbon emissions. Read our 2022 Recommerce Report for more.
2022 Stats
$ 4.6 B
in positive economic impact
1.6 M
metric tons of carbon emissions avoided
73 K
metric tons of waste avoided
Supporting Sustainable Development
In addition to our 2025 impact goals, we support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through our platform, initiatives and business operations. Below are six SDGs where we align our efforts — click through each to learn more.