Amazon bought more renewable energy last year than any other company

Amazon has been buying into renewable energy at a rapid clip in the past year, adding about 100 new projects and adding to its portfolio to more than 33 gigawatts of generation capacity. That’s more than 10 gigawatts more than its nearest competitor, Apple.

The additions make Amazon the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, according to him Bloomberg NEF. The company’s total portfolio is roughly evenly split between utility-scale wind and solar farms and on-site solar power projects. In total, that’s enough to power 8.3 million homes, Amazon said.

Amazon’s renewable and storage contracts allowed it to reduce emissions from purchased electricity, so-called Scope 2 emissions, even as it increased its own emissions. data centers.

Still, the company has a long way to go to eliminate its carbon footprint. Like many companies, most of Amazon’s emissions come from Scope 3, which covers activities over which it exercises less control. That includes expenses such as air travel, rental buildings and construction.

According to Amazon Sustainability Report 2023total emissions peaked in 2021 after strong growth for several years. Its carbon intensity – a measure of greenhouse gas emissions divided by gross sales – has also decreased. (Carbon intensity is a metric favored by fast-growing organizations, as they tend to consume more fossil fuels as they grow. If they invest in zero-carbon power, carbon intensity tends to grow more slowly or decreases relative to emissions in general, telling a more positive story.)

Amazon has yet to publish its 2024 sustainability report, which would give a more complete picture of the company’s progress toward its net zero 2040 goal.