Amazon hits 100% renewable energy target seven years early

Amazon has announced that it has achieved its goal of matching all electricity consumed by its operations, including data centres, with 100% renewable energy. This goal, initially set for 2030, has been met seven years ahead of schedule. The company has been recognised as the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally for the past four years by Bloomberg NEF.

Amazon has invested billions of dollars in over 500 solar and wind projects around the world. These projects generate enough energy to power approximately 7.6 million US homes. The achievement is a significant milestone in Amazon's Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Kara Hurst, Amazon's Chief Sustainability Officer, stated, "Achieving this goal is an important milestone in our efforts to meet our Climate Pledge commitment of net-zero carbon by 2040. Looking ahead, we remain as committed as ever to getting there, but the path is changing in ways that no one quite anticipated even just a few years ago—driven largely by the increasing demand for generative AI. This will require different sources of energy than we originally projected, so we'll need to be nimble and continue evolving our approach as we work towards net-zero carbon."

Hurst added, "While we'll continue investing heavily to add substantial amounts of renewable energy to our portfolio, we're also exploring new carbon-free energy sources that can complement renewables and balance our needs. We've known from the start that our path to net-zero would have many obstacles and need to be adjusted for changes to both our business and the world. Nevertheless, as with all of our long-term goals, we remain optimistic and focused on achieving them."

Bloomberg NEF's head of sustainability research, Kyle Harrison, commented, "By achieving its 100% renewable energy goal, Amazon has made it possible for hundreds of new solar and wind projects to be constructed, bringing new sources of clean energy to grids and communities around the world. Addressing climate change while balancing society's skyrocketing energy demands is a massive challenge, and Amazon's commitment to clean power demonstrates how a single company can help accelerate the transition to the low-carbon economy on a global scale."

Amazon's renewable energy projects span 27 countries. The company has enabled utility-scale renewable energy projects in India, Greece, South Africa, Japan, and Indonesia, among other countries. Notable projects include the Delta Wind farm in Mississippi, which is generating carbon-free energy to power Amazon's operations. This project also supports local residents, including third-generation farmer Abbott Myers, who benefits financially from the wind farm's development.

Amazon has also established itself as the leading corporate purchaser of offshore wind energy, supporting nearly 1.7 GW of capacity across six offshore wind farms in Europe. These projects are designed to power about 1.8 million average European homes. The first operational offshore wind farm enabled by Amazon is located off the coast of the Netherlands and has a capacity of over 750 MW.

In the Asia Pacific region, Amazon has enabled more than 80 renewable energy projects, including the first onshore wind farm and standalone utility-scale solar project in Japan. In Japan, Amazon has a total of 20 projects, which include 14 onsite solar installations on the rooftops of local Amazon buildings and six offsite wind and solar projects.

An essential component of Amazon's renewable energy investments involves modernising the energy grid to accommodate new sources of renewable energy. The company is working with energy regulators and has co-founded the Emissions First Partnership to encourage renewable energy investments in regions heavily dependent on fossil fuels.