Amazon operates one of the world’s largest commerce and cloud infrastructure networks, and its sustainability footprint reflects that scale. The company anchors its environmental strategy around The Climate Pledge, a commitment co-founded by Amazon in 2019 to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement target. Amazon’s 2024 Sustainability Report, its most recent publication, covers progress on emissions, packaging, water, workers, and supply chain decarbonization across its global operations.

The report presents a mixed picture: absolute emissions rose year over year, but the company met key milestones in renewable energy and circularity, and expanded its electric delivery fleet at scale. The Climate Pledge now counts 549 signatories as of 2024, reflecting Amazon’s influence as a convener of corporate climate action.

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report

Sustainability Strategy and Goals

Amazon’s formal strategy aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and draws from Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) principles, though the company’s net-zero target is self-defined under The Climate Pledge framework rather than SBTi-certified. The strategy spans carbon reduction, circular packaging, water stewardship, responsible sourcing, worker welfare, and nature-based solutions.

Net Zero and Carbon Emissions

Amazon’s absolute greenhouse gas emissions rose from 64.38 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (MTCO₂e) in 2023 to 68.25 MTCO₂e in 2024, driven by business growth and expanded data center operations tied to AI demand. Carbon intensity improved, with emissions per dollar of gross merchandise sales falling from 75.6g CO₂e/GMS in 2023 to 72.6g CO₂e/GMS in 2024.

• Total emissions (2024): 68.25 MTCO₂e, up from 64.38 MTCO₂e in 2023
• Carbon intensity (2024): 72.6g CO₂e/$GMS, down from 75.6g CO₂e/$GMS in 2023
• Net-zero target: 2040 via The Climate Pledge, co-founded by Amazon in 2019
• Climate Pledge signatories: 549 organizations as of 2024, up from prior years​
• Carbon intensity improved 24% since Amazon launched The Climate Pledge in 2019​

Water Stewardship

Amazon introduced a new water goal in 2024 to return more water to communities in India than it consumes across all direct operations there, with a target date of 2027. AWS, Amazon’s cloud division, is separately targeting water positivity globally by 2030 and reported 53% progress toward that objective by end of 2024.

• New 2024 commitment: water positive in India by 2027
• AWS water positivity target: 2030, with 53% progress reported by end of 2024
• Four new nature-based water replenishment projects launched in late 2025 across the UK, US, and Mexico are expected to restore over 2 billion liters of water annually​
• Mexico project with Toroto covers 259 hectares near Guadalajara and targets 150 million liters of annual replenishment​
• New Mexico project with the National Audubon Society targets replenishment of over 120 million liters of water per year from the Rio Grande​

Regenerative Agriculture

Amazon has not yet published a formal regenerative agriculture strategy in its 2024 sustainability report. Its food-related commitments center on food waste reduction rather than upstream agricultural practices. The company targets a 50% reduction in food waste across US and European operations by 2030.​

• Food waste target: 50% reduction by 2030 in the US and Europe
• Donated the equivalent of 81 million meals in 2024 across US and European operations​
• No disclosed investment in regenerative sourcing, crop inputs, or soil health programs as of the 2024 report

Deforestation and Biodiversity

Amazon’s biodiversity work is primarily expressed through nature-based carbon and water projects rather than a standalone deforestation policy. The company’s nature-based solutions portfolio includes wetland restoration, forest protection, and watershed rehabilitation in multiple geographies.​

• Nature-based water projects in 2025 span the UK, US (New Mexico and Illinois), and Mexico, targeting combined water and ecological benefits​
• Amazon’s carbon neutralization investments include forest and ecosystem restoration projects globally as part of its Climate Pledge decarbonization pathway​
• No public deforestation-free supply chain commitment has been disclosed for Amazon’s third-party retail suppliers as of the 2024 report

Packaging and Circular Economy

Amazon eliminated all plastic air pillows from global fulfillment center packaging in 2024, replacing them with curbside-recyclable paper fillers. This contributed to a 16.4% reduction in single-use plastic delivery packaging, bringing total single-use plastic consumption down to approximately 74,000 metric tons.

• Single-use plastic packaging reduction (2024): 16.4%, down to approximately 74,000 metric tons
• Plastic air pillows fully eliminated from all global fulfillment operations by end of 2024
• Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) program certified 18 million products in 2024, with 12% of global orders shipped without additional Amazon packaging​
• Landfill diversion rate improved to 85% in 2024, up from 84% in 2023 and 82% in 2022​
• Label backing recycling increased 16% in North America in 2024 through a collaboration with RafCycle by UPM Raflatac​

Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing

Amazon’s responsible sourcing framework covers health and safety, legal wages, working hours, elimination of child and forced labor, and non-discrimination across its manufacturing supply chain. In 2024, 10 Amazon businesses underwent formal human rights and environmental due diligence assessments.

• Human rights due diligence assessments completed across 10 Amazon business units in 2024​
• Amazon Private Brands strengthened supplier risk mitigation and continuous improvement programs in 2024​
• Tech Against Trafficking Summit hosted in 2024 brought together 162 experts from across sectors​
• Amazon requires suppliers in its manufacturing chain to meet standards on wages, working hours, and labor rights, with audits and corrective action plans issued by senior leadership​

Nutrition and Health

Amazon’s public nutrition commitments are limited in scope within its 2024 sustainability report. Food waste reduction and meal donation programs represent the primary touchpoints between Amazon’s operations and food system health.

• 81 million meals donated in 2024 across US and European food surplus programs​
• 50% food waste reduction target by 2030 across US and European operations​
• No disclosed front-of-pack nutrition labeling or reformulation targets for Amazon-branded food products in the 2024 report

Community and Social Impact

Amazon’s social impact work in 2024 focused on workforce development, community investment, and supplier diversity. The company’s worker-related programs include upskilling initiatives and safe working conditions across its fulfillment and logistics network.​

• Tech Against Trafficking Summit in 2024 convened 162 experts across technology, government, and civil society​
• Amazon’s human rights program includes benchmarking against international standards from industry and multilateral groups​
• Community-level water projects launched in 2025 across New Mexico, Illinois, Mexico, and the UK target water security for local populations alongside Amazon’s own replenishment goals​

Governance and Transparency

Amazon publishes an annual sustainability report and discloses Scope 1, 2, and partial Scope 3 emissions. The 2024 report covers 9 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined under the GHG Protocol, consistent with 2023 disclosure levels.​

• Scope 3 emissions reported across 9 of 15 GHG Protocol categories in both 2023 and 2024​
• Shareholders filed a resolution in late 2024 requesting Amazon disclose all material Scope 3 emissions tied to retail product sales, citing gaps in current reporting​
• Amazon updates its supply chain standards to require regular emissions reporting and goal-setting from key suppliers​

Technology and Innovation

Amazon uses AI-powered energy management systems across its operations to optimize renewable energy deployment and reduce grid reliance. The company’s supply chain decarbonization team developed an input-output modeling approach in 2025 to identify emission hotspots within its value chain at a granular level.

• AI energy management systems sustain 100% renewable energy matching across global operations​
• Input-output model developed by Amazon Science in 2025 maps Scope 3 hotspots across supplier categories to prioritize intervention​
• AWS chip-level cooling and mass timber data center designs reduce embodied carbon and water intensity
• Electric delivery van fleet grew from over 19,000 in 2023 to over 31,000 in 2024 toward a 100,000-van target by 2030​

Global Partnerships and Advocacy

The Climate Pledge is Amazon’s primary advocacy vehicle, bringing together businesses, governments, and civil society under a shared net-zero commitment. Amazon also participates in sector initiatives on water, biodiversity, and supply chain transparency.​

• The Climate Pledge reached 549 signatories by end of 2024​
• Amazon co-funded nature-based water replenishment projects across four countries in 2025 in partnership with the National Audubon Society, The Wetlands Initiative, and Toroto​
• Amazon Science published supply chain emissions modeling in 2025 to enable knowledge-sharing with suppliers and academic partners​

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report
sustainability.aboutamazon.com/climate-solutions
sustainability.aboutamazon.com/natural-resources/water
sustainability.aboutamazon.com/human-rights

Progress vs. Target Tracker

Commitment	Target	Current Status	Assessment
Net-zero carbon emissions	2040	Absolute emissions rose to 68.25 MTCO₂e in 2024 from 64.38 in 2023; carbon intensity improved to 72.6g CO₂e/$GMS	At risk
100% renewable energy matching	2030 (achieved 5 years early)	Met for second consecutive year in 2024	On track
100,000 electric delivery vans	2030	Over 31,000 deployed by end 2024, up from 19,000 in 2023	On track
Eliminate plastic air pillows	End of 2024	Achieved globally by end of 2024	On track
Halve single-use plastic packaging	No explicit year stated	Down 16.4% in 2024 to approx. 74,000 MT	On track
85%+ landfill diversion rate	Ongoing	85% in 2024, up from 84% in 2023 and 82% in 2022	On track
50% food waste reduction	2030	81M meals donated in 2024; no % reduction figure published	Needs monitoring
Water positive in India	2027	Goal announced in 2024; progress metrics not yet disclosed	Needs monitoring
AWS water positive globally	2030	53% progress reported in 2024	On track
Full Scope 3 retail emissions disclosure	No deadline set	9 of 15 GHG categories disclosed; shareholder resolution filed	At risk
Supply chain emissions reporting requirements	2024 mandated	Supplier reporting standards updated	On track

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report
https://technologymagazine.com/news/whats-inside-amazons-2024-sustainability-report
https://www.recyclingtoday.com/news/amazon-continues-progress-on-waste-diversion-packaging-reduction/

Key Sustainability Innovations and Technologies

Amazon’s most consequential innovations in 2024 and 2025 cluster around energy systems, last-mile electrification, packaging materials, and supply chain data science.

Electric Delivery Fleet

Amazon scaled its Rivian-built electric delivery van fleet from over 19,000 units in 2023 to over 31,000 by end of 2024, representing a 63% year-over-year increase toward its 100,000-van target by 2030. In India, Amazon is targeting a fleet of 10,000 electric vehicles by 2025, with integrated data analytics managing route optimization and charging logistics.

AI-Driven Energy Management

Amazon deployed AI-powered energy management systems across its global operations, enabling it to match 100% of electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2024 for the second consecutive year, five years ahead of its original 2030 target. These systems manage the deployment of wind and solar capacity across multiple geographies and align procurement with real-time grid conditions.

Supply Chain Emissions Modeling

Amazon Science published a new input-output emissions modeling methodology in late 2025 that maps Scope 3 hotspot emissions across supplier and product categories at a granular level. The model helps Amazon prioritize supplier engagement for renewable energy adoption and identify the highest-leverage decarbonization interventions in its value chain, where purchased goods and services alone account for 34% of Scope 3 emissions.

Packaging Material Substitution

Amazon completed the global elimination of plastic air pillows in 2024, replacing them with curbside-recyclable paper fillers across all fulfillment centers. The SIPP program certified 18 million products that ship in their own packaging without additional Amazon wrapping. Amazon is also in active development of next-generation compostable packaging from renewable sources and exploring full elimination of label backing material.

Nature-Based Water Technology

Amazon’s 2025 water replenishment expansion uses natural infrastructure, including restored wetlands, revegetated soils, and forested buffer zones, in place of capital-intensive engineered water systems. The approach produces comparable hydrological benefits at lower emissions and lower maintenance cost. Collectively, the four projects announced in late 2025 are expected to restore over 2 billion liters of water annually.​

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report
https://trellis.net/article/amazon-supply-chain-input-output-model/
https://www.amazon.science/blog/a-new-view-of-supply-chain-emissions
https://packagingpost.com/2025/09/04/amazon-sustainability-report-2024-packaging-and-energy-progress-in-focus/

Measurable Impacts

Amazon’s measurable sustainability data from 2022 to 2024 shows improvement in intensity metrics and packaging, alongside persistent pressure from absolute emissions growth.

• Absolute emissions: 68.25 MTCO₂e (2024), 64.38 MTCO₂e (2023), trajectory upward
• Carbon intensity: 72.6g CO₂e/$GMS (2024), down from 75.6g CO₂e/$GMS (2023), 24% improvement since 2019 baseline​
• Scope 3 emissions: 50.32 million MTCO₂e in 2024, representing 74% of total GHG footprint; purchased goods and services are the largest source at 34% of Scope 3
• Renewable energy: 100% matched for second consecutive year in 2024, five years ahead of 2030 target​
• EV fleet: 31,000+ vans deployed in 2024, up from 19,000+ in 2023​
• Landfill diversion: 85% (2024), 84% (2023), 82% (2022), with 83% of total waste recycled or composted in 2024​
• Single-use plastic packaging: down 16.4% in 2024 to approximately 74,000 metric tons​
• SIPP program: 18 million products certified, 12% of global orders shipped without extra packaging​
• Label backing recycling: up 16% in North America (2024) and up 50% in Japan (2024 vs 2023)​
• Meals donated: 81 million equivalents in 2024 across US and Europe​
• AWS water positivity: 53% progress toward 2030 goal​

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report
https://tracenable.com/organizations/amazoncom/ghg-emissions
https://manufacturingdigital.com/news/whats-inside-amazons-2024-sustainability-report

Challenges and Areas for Improvement

Amazon’s sustainability program faces four material challenges that limit the credibility of its 2040 net-zero claim without significant course corrections.

Rising Absolute Emissions

Amazon’s total emissions increased by 3.87 MTCO₂e between 2023 and 2024, a 6% year-over-year rise, driven by data center expansion for AI workloads and logistics network growth. Absolute emissions have increased approximately 45% since the 2018 baseline. A net-zero trajectory requires sustained absolute reductions, not just intensity improvements.

Scope 3 Disclosure Gap

Amazon reports Scope 3 emissions across only 9 of 15 GHG Protocol categories, excluding product-related value chain emissions tied to the goods sold on its marketplace. For large retailers, these omitted categories often represent the largest share of total climate impact. Shareholders filed a formal resolution in December 2024 requesting full Scope 3 disclosure of emissions from retail products Amazon sells as the seller of record.

Supply Chain Complexity

Scope 3 emissions totaled 50.32 MTCO₂e in 2024, comprising 74% of Amazon’s total footprint and spanning millions of third-party suppliers across global markets. Purchased goods and services alone account for 34% of Scope 3. While Amazon has introduced supply chain reporting requirements, actual supplier data quality and coverage remain limited, and engagement with high-emission supplier categories is still in early stages.

Water and Agriculture Gaps

Amazon’s water positive commitment covers only India (by 2027) and AWS globally (by 2030). No commitments exist for Amazon’s logistics or fulfillment operations outside India, or for any agriculture-linked supply chain water use. The company has no disclosed regenerative agriculture or deforestation-free sourcing policy, leaving significant upstream land-use emissions unaddressed.

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report
https://www.asyousow.org/resolutions/2024/12/10-amazon-disclose-scope-3-emissions
https://ditchcarbon.com/organizations/amazon

Future Plans and Long-Term Goals

Amazon’s forward roadmap through 2030 and 2040 rests on fleet electrification, circular packaging, water neutrality, supplier decarbonization, and nature-based carbon neutralization.

• Deploy at least 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2030​
• Achieve water positivity for AWS globally by 2030​
• Return more water to communities in India than consumed across all direct operations by 2027​
• Expand SIPP program and reusable packaging pilots across logistics hubs in Europe and Asia through 2030​
• Develop closed-loop recycling systems using returns and fulfillment center waste​
• Eliminate label backing material entirely, currently in research phase​
• Halve food waste in the US and Europe by 2030​
• Reach net-zero carbon across global operations by 2040 under The Climate Pledge​
• Continue expanding renewable energy capacity through wind and solar investments using AI-backed energy management​

On 2030 timelines, Amazon leads peers in renewable energy coverage and EV deployment pace. Its absolute emissions trajectory and incomplete Scope 3 disclosure place it behind sustainability-forward competitors in comprehensive climate accounting. The 2040 net-zero target is a decade earlier than the Paris Agreement’s implied 2050 path but requires demonstrated absolute emission reductions that have not yet materialized.

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report
https://thesustainableinnovation.com/amazon-circular-packaging/

Comparisons to Industry Competitors

Amazon, Walmart, and Microsoft operate at intersecting points of retail, logistics, and cloud infrastructure, making them meaningful benchmarks for scale-adjusted sustainability performance.

Competitor ESG Metrics (2024 Data)

Metric	Amazon	Walmart	Microsoft
Scope 1 + 2 emissions	17.93 MTCO₂e (2024, derived from total minus Scope 3)	15.65 MTCO₂e (2024)	~15 MTCO₂e total (FY2024)
Scope 3 emissions	50.32 MTCO₂e (2024, 9 of 15 categories)	Not fully disclosed by category	97% of total; ~14.55 MTCO₂e in Scope 3
Scope 1+2 trend vs. baseline	Up ~45% from 2018	Down 18.1% from 2015 baseline	Scope 1+2 down 30% from 2020; Scope 3 up 26%
Renewable energy coverage	100% matched (2024)	48.5% of global electricity (2024)	100% contracted (FY2024)
Recycled/diverted waste rate	85% landfill diversion (2024)	Not disclosed at equivalent granularity	90.9% server/component reuse and recycling
Net zero target year	2040	2040	2030

Source

Sources for Walmart: https://www.esgdive.com/news/walmart-not-meeting-2025-2030-emissions-goals-remains-committed-to-sustainability/760147/
Sources for Microsoft: https://technologymagazine.com/articles/microsofts-2030-plan-revealed-as-emissions-rise-by-23-4

Walmart’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions are significantly lower than Amazon’s at 15.65 MTCO₂e in 2024 and declining 18.1% from 2015, but the company is not on track for its 2025 renewable energy target of 50%, having reached only 48.5%. Microsoft’s net-zero target of 2030 is the most ambitious of the three, but its overall emissions grew 23.4% in FY2024 due to AI and cloud expansion, mirroring Amazon’s own AI-driven pressure.

Source

corporate.walmart.com/purpose/esgreport
https://cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com/is/content/microsoftcorp/microsoft/msc/documents/presentations/CSR/Microsoft-2024-Environmental-Sustainability-Report.pdf
sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report

What to Watch: 12 to 18 Month Indicators

Three signals will determine whether Amazon’s sustainability credibility improves or erodes through the end of 2026 and into early 2027.

Absolute Emissions Trajectory in 2025

Amazon must demonstrate a reversal in absolute emissions, which have risen 45% since 2018 and climbed again in 2024. If the 2025 report shows a third consecutive annual increase in total MTCO₂e, the 2040 net-zero claim will face credible challenge from investors and regulators, particularly under California’s SB 253 and EU CSRD reporting mandates.

Scope 3 Retail Disclosure Response

The December 2024 shareholder resolution requesting full Scope 3 disclosure of retail product emissions will come to a vote in 2025. Amazon’s response, whether it expands its 9-category disclosure to cover product-related value chain emissions, will signal how seriously the company treats supply chain accountability. A refusal to expand will invite further regulatory pressure under EU carbon border adjustment mechanisms and increase reputational exposure.​

India Water Target Progress

Amazon announced its India water-positive commitment in 2024 with a 2027 deadline, but has not yet published baseline consumption data, project timelines, or measurement methodology for this goal. The first substantive disclosure of progress metrics, expected in the 2025 or 2026 sustainability report, will reveal whether this commitment has operational backing or remains aspirational.

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/natural-resources/water
https://www.asyousow.org/resolutions/2024/12/10-amazon-disclose-scope-3-emissions
https://tracenable.com/organizations/amazoncom/ghg-emissions

Amazon’s 2024 sustainability record reflects a company that has genuine operational capability in specific areas but has not yet converted that capability into an absolute emissions reduction. The 100% renewable energy match and 63% EV fleet growth in a single year show what Amazon can achieve at scale when it sets a concrete target with engineering resources behind it. The 45% rise in absolute emissions since 2018 and the exclusion of retail product Scope 3 emissions from reporting show where strategic ambition has not yet translated into hard accountability.

Three strategic takeaways for practitioners benchmarking or replicating this approach:

• Intensity vs. absolute: Amazon’s carbon intensity improvement (24% since 2019) is real but insufficient as a standalone metric for net-zero credibility. Organizations benchmarking Amazon should track absolute emission curves alongside intensity ratios, as business growth can and does outpace efficiency gains.
• Scope 3 reporting design: Amazon’s decision to exclude product-related retail emissions from Scope 3 disclosure creates a structural blind spot. Organizations designing Scope 3 programs should map all 15 GHG Protocol categories at the outset and disclose gaps explicitly, rather than leaving material categories unreported by default.
• Technology-led circularity: The plastic air pillow elimination and SIPP program demonstrate that packaging circularity goals with hard deadlines and engineering investment can move fast. The 16.4% single-use plastic reduction in one year and 18 million SIPP-certified products show that circular logistics design is a lever organizations can pull relatively quickly compared to upstream supply chain decarbonization.

Source

sustainability.aboutamazon.com/2024-report
https://ditchcarbon.com/organizations/amazon
https://trellis.net/article/amazon-supply-chain-input-output-model/