Amazon says it has hit 100% renewable goal seven years ahead of schedule

11 July 2024, 16:37 published

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Amazon has claimed to have achieved its goal of matching 100% of its energy consumption with renewable energy sources.

The milestone, reached in 2023, was achieved seven years ahead of the company’s 2030 target. It encompasses all of the company’s global operations, including corporate buildings, grocery stores and fulfillment centers.

Surprisingly, the company managed to reach its target despite a significant increase in global data center demand in the wake of publicly available generative AI tools.

Amazon runs on 100% renewable electricity

For four consecutive years from 2019, Amazon was recognized as the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, which helped it to meet its goal ahead of schedule. The company has invested billions into more than 500 solar and wind projects globally, generating enough energy to power around 7.6 million US homes annually.

This includes 1.7GW of off-shore wind, which it claims makes Amazon, “the top corporate purchaser of offshore wind globally.”

Amazon Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst commented: “Reaching our renewable energy goal is an incredible achievement, and we’re proud of the work we’ve done to get here, seven years early.”

However, in recognition of growing energy demand and consumption, particularly to fuel its data centers, Hurst indicated that the work is not complete yet: “We also know that this is just a moment in time, and our work to decarbonize our operations will not always be the same each year – we’ll continue to make progress, while also constantly evolving on our path to 2040.”

Looking ahead, Amazon says it remains committed to meeting its Climate Pledge commitment of net-zero carbon by 2040, but technological evolution in recent years could add to the pressure.

As part of its ongoing work, Amazon has also committed to helping to modernize grid and energy delivery systems, including some of the 80 million kilometers of grids that are in need of an upgrade by 2040 (according to the International Energy Agency).