Amazon bought more renewable energy last year than any other company

Amazon has been on a roll in renewable energy acquisitions over the past year, adding nearly 100 new projects and growing its portfolio to more than 33 gigawatts of generating capacity. That’s more than 10 gigawatts more than its nearest competitor, apple.

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

Amazon’s renewable energy and storage contracts have allowed it to reduce emissions from purchased electricity, even if it increases Scope 2 emissions. data centers.

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

According to Amazon 2023 sustainability reporttotal emissions peaked in 2021 after many years of steep growth. Its carbon intensity – a measure of greenhouse gas emissions divided by total sales – is also falling. (Carbon intensity is a metric favored by fast-growing organizations because they tend to consume more fossil fuels as they grow. If they invest in zero-carbon energy, carbon intensity tends to rise or fall more slowly than total emissions. A positive story.)

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