Amazon has met its 100% renewable energy goal seven years ahead of schedule, with all the electricity used across its global operations matched with 100% renewable energy in 2023. This includes data centres, corporate buildings and fulfilment centres.
The company set its 2030 target as part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge – a commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040. Amazon is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the world and has invested in more than 500 solar and wind projects, including seven renewable energy projects in Australia.
Amazon vice president of worldwide sustainability, Kara Hurst said, “Reaching our renewable energy goal is an incredible achievement, and we’re proud of the work we’ve done to get here, seven years early. We also know that this is just a moment in time, and our work to decarbonise our operations will not always be the same each year—we’ll continue to make progress, while also constantly evolving on our path to 2040.
“Our teams will remain ambitious and continue to do what is right for our business, our customers and the planet. That’s why we’ll continue investing in solar and wind projects, while also supporting other forms of carbon-free energy, that can help power our operations for decades to come.”
In Australia, Amazon has enabled seven renewable energy projects. This includes four utility scale projects – an operational solar farm in Wandoan (QLD) (pictured above), operational solar farms in Suntop and Gunnedah (NSW), and a wind farm in Hawkesdale (VIC) – as well as three rooftop solar projects on Amazon facilities in Melbourne and Sydney.
Once operational, the projects are estimated to generate more than 1,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean power – enough to power more than 175,000 Australian homes. These projects are helping to power Amazon’s Australian operations, including Amazon data centres, and fulfilment centres, while also providing new sources of clean power to local communities and the East Coast grid.
The company has invested $467 million in wind and solar farms in Australia from 2020 to 2022. Globally, communities where Amazon wind and solar farms are located experienced more than $12 billion in additional investment from 2014 through 2022.