Amazon is looking to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. Credit: William DeHoogh on Unsplash.

Amazon has achieved its goal of powering its operations, including data centres, with 100% renewable energy, which it originally aimed to achieve by 2030.

The company has invested billions of dollars in over 500 solar and wind projects, which generate enough energy to power approximately 7.6m US homes. Kara Hurst, chief sustainability officer at Amazon, said: “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.”

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

“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.”

In January, the US-based retail giant said that it has become the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the fourth year in a row.

Amazon runs renewable energy projects in a wide range of countries, including India, Greece, South Africa, Japan and Indonesia. Significant projects include six offshore wind farms in Europe, such as Moray West in Scotland and East Anglia THREE in Suffolk, that combined produce 1.7GW of power.

See Also:

In Japan, Amazon recently announced its first onshore wind farm, , a 33MW wind project in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, and a 9.5MW standalone utility-scale solar farm in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Amazon will need to grapple with the energy challenges to arise from increased use of generative AI in the coming years. Speaking at the World Energy Congress in Rotterdam in April, Ann Mettler, vice-president for Europe at Breakthrough Energy, said: “In view of AI, existing technologies are not sufficient if you consider the enormous energy needs that are generated by AI and future iterations of artificial intelligence.”