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Amazon emissions ticked up in 2024 amid data center push

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By illuminem briefings

· 3 min read


illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Hill or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Amazon’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 6% in 2024, reaching 68.25 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent, reversing two years of declines, according to its latest sustainability report
The increase is attributed to the company’s rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) services and construction of energy-intensive data centers, even as it pursues its 2040 net-zero emissions target under The Climate Pledge

🔭 The context: Amazon (see sustainability performance) has positioned itself as a corporate climate leader since launching The Climate Pledge in 2019
While the company made progress lowering emissions in 2022 and 2023, the surge in AI deployment — which requires substantial data center capacity — has intensified its energy demand
Nearly three-quarters of Amazon’s emissions stem from indirect sources, including third-party delivery fuel and data center construction
Similar challenges have emerged across the tech sector as firms race to develop AI while maintaining climate commitments

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The rebound in emissions underscores the tension between digital transformation and climate goals, particularly as AI’s environmental footprint grows
Amazon’s continued investment in nuclear power and low-carbon energy for data centers may mitigate some emissions in the medium term, but the company’s reliance on third-party logistics and construction supply chains highlights systemic challenges in decarbonising at scale
The tech industry’s climate credibility will hinge on how effectively it reconciles growth with emissions reductions

⏭️ What's next: Amazon is advancing $30 billion in new data center investments in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, paired with plans to expand nuclear energy capacity through modular reactors and partnerships with existing plants
Future sustainability reports will be closely scrutinised to assess progress on mitigating data center emissions and integrating cleaner energy sources
Stakeholders will also watch for broader sectoral action to address AI’s energy demands and indirect supply chain impacts

💬 One quote: "One of the biggest challenges with scaling AI is increased energy demands for data centers," Amazon stated in its sustainability report

📈 One stat: Amazon’s emissions climbed to 68.25 million metric tons CO₂e in 2024, up from 64.38 million in 2023 — a 6% increase

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of Amazon and its peers Microsoft, Google, and Apple

Click for more news covering the latest on corporate sustaianbility

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illuminem's editorial team, providing you with concise summaries of the most important sustainability news of the day. Follow us on Linkedin, Twitter​ & Instagram

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