Amazon purchased more renewable energy last year than any other company

Amazon has bought into renewable energy very quickly in the past year, adding about 100 new projects and taking its portfolio to more than 33 gigawatts of generating capacity. This is more than 10 gigawatts more than its closest competitor. apple.

These additions make Amazon the largest buyer of renewable energy, according to BloombergNEF. The company’s total portfolio is split roughly evenly between utility-scale wind and solar farms and on-site solar projects. Amazon said that this amount is enough in total to supply energy to 8.3 million homes.

Amazon’s renewable energy and storage contracts have allowed it to reduce emissions from purchasing electricity, so-called Scope 2 emissions, even as it ramps up its emissions. Data centers.

However, the company still has a long way to go to eliminate its carbon footprint. Like many companies, the vast majority of Amazon’s emissions come from Scope 3, which covers activities over which it has less control. This includes expenses such as air travel, leased premises and building construction.

According to Amazon Sustainability Report 2023Total emissions peaked in 2021 after rising sharply for many years. And its carbon intensity — a measure of greenhouse gas emissions divided by total sales — is declining. (Carbon intensity is a measure favored by fast-growing organizations, because they tend to consume more fossil fuels as they grow. And if they invest in carbon-neutral energy, carbon intensity tends to grow more slowly or fall compared to total emissions, which indicates a more positive story.) )

Amazon has not yet released its 2024 sustainability report, which will give a more complete picture of the company’s progress toward its 2040 net-zero goal.