- Amazon published its annual sustainability report which shows that the company’s carbon emissions increased by 18% in 2021.
- While the company’s Scope 2 emissions, including purchased electricity, decreased by 23%, Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions increased by 26% and 21% respectively.
- Amazon aims to increase renewable energy in electricity usage to 100%, which is currently 85% according to the report.
Amazon published its sustainability report for 2021. According to the report, the company’s carbon emissions went up by 18% in 2021. The tech giant also stated that the company will complete a transition to renewable energy before the end of the decade and will hit net-zero carbon emissions in 2040. Amazon also stated that the continual growth is making it harder for the company to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
Net-zero carbon emissions in 2040
The report shows that the Scope 1 emissions, which directly come from its operations, increased by 26%. Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity decreased by 23% in 2021, which is due to the increased use of renewable energy sources. Finally, Scope 3 emissions, which are caused by indirect sources, such as the supply chain, increased by 21%. Almost half of the Scope 3 emissions were coming from constructions and purchased goods.
Amazon stated that although its carbon emissions increased, the carbon intensity decreased by 1.9%. The carbon intensity refers to the amount of carbon released per dollar of revenue. Amazon increased its revenues by 37% in 2021 and had to scale up its physical presence. During the period, Amazon doubled the size of its fulfillment network and created over 750,000 full-time and part-time jobs globally.
Amazon achieved 85% renewable energy in electricity usage directly. The company aims to achieve 100% by 2025. The tech giant also aims to decarbonize its supply chain by constructing more sustainable buildings. Finally, Amazon aims to become a net-zero carbon emissions company by 2040. Amazon said,
« While we’ve had success cutting emissions from some operations, we are still early in the process of transforming others. Some actions and investments have immediate carbon savings, while others will take years to demonstrate results. The path to net-zero carbon has many obstacles, but we thrive on big challenges. »