Amazon’s latest sustainability report highlights a 16% increase in absolute carbon emissions in 2025, driven by AI and data centre expansion, amid ongoing efforts to meet net zero targets by 2040.
Amazon’s latest sustainability report shows the scale of the challenge facing hyperscale cloud and AI operators as they race to expand capacity without blowing through climate targets. The company said its absolute carbon emissions rose 16% in 2025 to about 80.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, a figure that now exceeds New Zealand’s 2024 territorial emissions of 77.8 million tonnes, according to figures cited by TechRadar Pro.
Amazon linked much of the increase to the energy appetite of AI and the rapid build-out of data centre infrastructure. Even so, the company insisted its long-term net zero goal for 2040 remains intact. Its sustainability report said carbon intensity improved markedly over the longer term, with emissions per dollar of revenue still 38% lower than in 2019, despite a 20% rise in AWS revenue in 2025. Carbon intensity did edge up 3% year on year, however, underscoring how quickly growth in cloud and AI can absorb efficiency gains.
The report also highlights where Amazon’s emissions actually come from. Roughly 76% now sits in the supply chain, up 20% from the previous year, while emissions tied to purchased electricity climbed 34% but still accounted for only around 5% of the total footprint. For industrial decarbonisation professionals, that split matters: it suggests the biggest levers are no longer confined to power procurement alone, but extend deep into materials, logistics and supplier practices.
Amazon pointed to continued clean-energy investment as evidence that it is still moving in the right direction. The company said it added 80 renewable and carbon-free energy projects in 2025, taking its cumulative capacity to 42GW across 712 projects, and said 61 construction projects used lower-carbon materials. In a separate announcement, Amazon said it had also extended its position as the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, with additional wind and solar projects intended to help it meet its goal of matching 100% of its operations with renewable power.
Yet the operational efficiency story is more mixed. Amazon reported a data centre Power Usage Effectiveness score of 1.14, which is respectable by industry standards but still worse than Google’s reported 1.09 for 2024. That gap may seem small, but at Amazon’s scale it represents a meaningful difference in the amount of energy required to deliver each unit of compute.
Taken together, the numbers show a familiar pattern across the digital infrastructure sector: decarbonisation investment is rising quickly, but demand growth is rising faster. Amazon is making progress on renewables and efficiency, yet the latest figures suggest the AI boom is still setting the pace.
- https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazon-reveals-it-used-more-energy-than-new-zealand-in-2025-as-its-carbon-footprint-rises-16-percent – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazon-reveals-it-used-more-energy-than-new-zealand-in-2025-as-its-carbon-footprint-rises-16-percent – Amazon’s 2025 Sustainability Report reveals a 16% increase in carbon emissions, reaching 80.9 million tonnes, surpassing New Zealand’s 2024 emissions of 77.8 million tonnes. The surge is attributed to AI-driven data centre expansions, though Amazon maintains its 2040 net-zero goal remains achievable. Despite a 20% rise in AWS revenue, carbon intensity per dollar increased by 3% year-over-year but is still 38% lower than in 2019. Notably, 76% of total emissions now stem from the supply chain, up 20% from the previous year. Emissions from purchased electricity rose 34% but constitute only 5% of the total footprint. Amazon added 80 renewable and carbon-free energy projects in 2025, expanding capacity to 42GW across 712 projects. However, its data centres have a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) score of 1.14, trailing Google’s 2024 score of 1.09.
- https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/amazon-extends-position-as-worlds-largest-corporate-buyer-of-renewable-energy?initialSessionID=355-0955137-7497552&ld=ASXXSCTAUDirect – Amazon has announced 37 new renewable energy projects, adding 3.5 GW of clean energy capacity, bringing its total to 15.7 GW across 310 projects in 19 countries. This expansion reinforces Amazon’s position as the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, aiming to power 100% of its operations with renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of the original 2030 target. The new projects include wind and solar farms in the U.S., Spain, France, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and the UAE, contributing to Amazon’s commitment to The Climate Pledge, a net-zero carbon initiative by 2040.
- https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/amazon-is-making-big-global-investments-in-renewable-energy – Amazon has become the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy globally after investing in new renewable energy projects in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. The company now has a total of 206 renewable energy projects globally, including 71 utility-scale wind and solar projects, and 135 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide. With 8.5 gigawatts of electricity production capacity globally to date, Amazon is on a path to 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of the original target of 2030. The new energy projects, announced on April 19, also mean Amazon has become the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe, with more than 2.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity—enough to power more than 2 million European homes a year.
- https://www.edie.net/data-centre-boom-drove-amazons-emissions-up-16-in-2025/ – Amazon’s carbon footprint reached 80.85 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2025, up from 69.55 million in 2024, marking a 16% increase. This rise is largely attributed to the rapid expansion of data centres to support AI and cloud computing services. Despite this, Amazon’s carbon intensity has decreased by 38% since 2019, even as revenue grew by 156%. The company remains committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, demonstrating a decoupling of growth from emissions.
- https://www.geekwire.com/2026/the-cost-of-the-ai-boom-amazon-emissions-jump-16-as-company-stands-by-net-zero-pledge/ – Amazon’s carbon footprint increased by 16% in 2025, emitting nearly 80.9 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, slightly surpassing New Zealand’s emissions. The surge is primarily due to the rapid expansion of data centres to meet AI computing demand. Despite this, Amazon maintains its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, as outlined in its comprehensive sustainability report.
- https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/amazons-carbon-emissions-grow-by-16-percent-in-2025-on-the-back-of-record-data-center-capacity-additions/ – Amazon’s carbon emissions grew by 16% in 2025, reaching 80.85 million tonnes CO₂ equivalent, driven predominantly by data centre expansion. The company added more data centre capacity globally than any other, including over 1.2GW in Q4 alone. Electricity-related emissions soared by 34% year on year, primarily due to data centre growth. Despite this, Amazon’s global fleet of data centres had an average Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.14, better than the industry average of 1.25 but behind Google’s reported 1.09.
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The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article was published on 2 July 2026, shortly after Amazon’s 2025 Sustainability Report was released. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazon-reveals-it-used-more-energy-than-new-zealand-in-2025-as-its-carbon-footprint-rises-16-percent?utm_source=openai)) The content appears original, with no evidence of prior publication. However, the reliance on a single source (TechRadar) raises concerns about source independence.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes attributed to Amazon’s 2025 Sustainability Report. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazon-reveals-it-used-more-energy-than-new-zealand-in-2025-as-its-carbon-footprint-rises-16-percent?utm_source=openai)) While these quotes are consistent with the report’s content, they cannot be independently verified without access to the full report. The absence of direct access to the report limits the ability to confirm the accuracy of these quotes.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
TechRadar is a reputable technology news outlet. However, the article’s reliance on a single source, especially when that source is a press release, raises concerns about source independence. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/pro/amazon-reveals-it-used-more-energy-than-new-zealand-in-2025-as-its-carbon-footprint-rises-16-percent?utm_source=openai))
Plausibility check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about Amazon’s 2025 carbon emissions and the factors contributing to the increase are plausible and align with known industry trends. However, the lack of independent verification and the reliance on a single source reduce the confidence in the accuracy of these claims.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article provides a summary of Amazon’s 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting a 16% increase in carbon emissions. However, it relies solely on TechRadar’s reporting, which is based on Amazon’s press release, raising concerns about source independence and the ability to independently verify the information. The lack of access to the full report further limits the ability to confirm the accuracy of the claims made. Therefore, the content cannot be fully verified, and publishing it carries inherent risks.
