Sustainability

Buildings

We operate thousands of world-class facilities that serve our employees, customers, and communities around the globe. We’re reducing emissions across our portfolio by increasing the energy efficiency of our buildings, expanding our use of renewable energy, and using more sustainable building materials.

Two people are shown walking down a hallway in an office setting office while others sit nearby.

Progress

250+ facilities around the globe have rooftop solar installations, which can help power up to 80% of a facility’s energy use

Rows of solar panels on a rooftop.

100% of the energy consumed at our headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, is matched with renewable energy

36 data centers built using lower-carbon concrete in 2023

A concrete structure.

Our approach

We rely on industry best practices and emerging technologies in facility design and operation to drive reductions across carbon, energy, water, and waste. 

To do this, we focus on the direct emissions that result from powering our buildings and the indirect emissions from the embodied carbon—the carbon emitted during construction—in our building materials and equipment. We use proven technologies to enhance efficiency, while also testing new ideas with The Climate Pledge Fund to transition our buildings to net-zero carbon.

We consider a wide range of sustainability strategies across our buildings, which include corporate offices, fulfillment facilities, physical stores, film studios, and data centers. No matter the building type, we focus on five key areas when it comes to decarbonization:

  • Prioritize carbon-free energy
  • Increase energy efficiency
  • Use lower-carbon refrigerants
  • Use lower-carbon construction materials
  • Reduce onsite water consumption and waste generation

Corporate offices

Our global corporate offices are often located in vibrant communities and urban hubs. Many offer plazas and open green spaces for communal and public use. Even more feature green roofs and infrastructure that provide outdoor space while supporting ecological functions like green stormwater management.

Indoor spaces integrate biophilic design concepts, such as green walls and locally sourced woods, energy-efficient lighting, composting and recycling, and employee wellness spaces. Many also offer electric vehicle charging stations, bike parking, and showers to encourage low-carbon transportation for employees and visitors.

🇺🇸 Arlington, Virginia

HQ2

Our second headquarters was built using new, sustainability-focused solutions like lower-carbon concrete, mass timber,  electrified energy-efficient operations, advanced ways to reuse water, and two acres of landscaped roofs with native plants. The campus is powered with 100% renewable energy procured from a solar farm in Virginia and we’ve eliminated the use of fossil fuels within the buildings for daily operations.
Read article
A stadium seating area with greenery and two people chatting. A rooftop garden is shown with buildings in the background. An entryway leading to elevator doors. Two people and a dog are shown in a floral-themed seating area. A cafe setting with two people working behind a counter.

Fulfillment centers

Our fulfillment, logistics, and distribution sites are where we process orders for customers. Many throughout the U.S., Europe, and India are powered by on-site solar. We’re also pursuing green building certifications at some facilities, which validates the change positive changes we are making. 

🇺🇸 California

Sacramento Same-Day Delivery Site

In 2023, this building became North America's first International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Zero Carbon Certified logistics facility. This facility, which does not use on-site fossil fuels for operations, features lower-carbon concrete and incorporates energy-efficient conveyor systems. The systems are optimized with high-efficiency motors, low-friction belts, and low-friction rollers, which reduce the energy consumption of the equipment by 38%. 

Read article
  • A tower of items is carried by a robotic sorting machine.
  • A large piece of machinery is used to move items from inventory towers.
  • Three red pipes fastened to a wall inside of a building.

Physical stores

Our physical stores include hundreds of Amazon Fresh, Amazon Go, and Whole Foods Market locations across the U.S. and Europe. 

In 2022, Whole Foods Market reached a milestone in energy efficiency performance, achieving the U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge goal two years ahead of schedule. These improvements were driven by investing in alternative refrigerants, installing energy-efficient HVAC systems, implementing retrofit projects, and launching an energy awareness program.

Hands shown from above moving a tray on top of a metal surface.
A person places an item into a cart while grocery shopping.

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

Amazon Fresh Store

In 2023, this North Seattle Amazon Fresh location received a Zero Carbon Certification from the ILFI, becoming the world’s first grocery store to do so. Its many sustainability features include a natural refrigeration system that uses carbon dioxide as a refrigerant, all-electric kitchen and hot water heating systems, electric vehicle charging for customers, and lower-carbon concrete floors.
Read article

Data centers

We’re designing our AWS data centers—including our servers and hardware—for efficiency, resiliency, and a lower carbon footprint. We strive to reduce embodied carbon associated with concrete and steel—the two most carbon-intensive materials used to build our data centers.
Explore the cloud Explore the cloud
Two people surrounded by black and blue bins work in front of a large piece of machinery.

AWS Reverse Logistics Hub

To extend the life of data center hardware, AWS sends retired server racks and components to be disassembled, repaired, and tested for reuse. This allows AWS to keep resources at their highest value for as long as possible, avoiding waste generation from our global operations, and reducing the use of raw materials and carbon emissions across our supply chain. 
Read article

Entertainment venues

We’ve found ways to improve sustainability in entertainment venues, such as the Climate Pledge Arena—which Amazon helped renovate and restore through our collaboration with the Oak View Group. The arena is the first ILFI Zero Carbon certified arena in the world. It has sustainability features such as an electric-powered Zamboni, as well as ice made of captured rainwater to help reduce water use—an NHL first. 

The arena also matches 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy, and boasts energy-efficient systems and lower-carbon refrigerants.

Discover the latest in buildings

1 3

% buffered 00:00
00:00
Loading
Article author image

Transcript