Sustainability in the Cloud
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is committed to running our business in the most environmentally friendly way possible and achieving 100% renewable energy usage for our global infrastructure.
Sustainability in the Cloud
AWS Timeline
Learn how AWS is working to achieve Amazon's goal of 100% renewable energy.
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2018
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December 2017
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November 2016
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October 2016
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October 2016
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June 2016
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April 2015
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January 2015
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November 2014
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May 2020
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March 2020
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December 2019
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October 2019
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August 2019
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April 2019
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2018
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December 2017
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November 2016
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October 2016
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October 2016
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June 2016
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April 2016
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January 2016
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November 2015
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September 2015
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July 2015
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June 2015
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April 2015
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January 2015
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November 2014
Learn more about AWS renewable energy projects across the globe.
The results of a study by 451 Research show that AWS’s infrastructure is 3.6 times more energy efficient than the median of the surveyed U.S. enterprise data centers. More than two-thirds of this advantage is attributable to the combination of a more energy efficient server population and much higher server utilization. AWS data centers are also more energy efficient than enterprise sites due to comprehensive efficiency programs that touch every facet of the facility.
"When we factor in the carbon intensity of consumed electricity and renewable energy purchases, which reduce associated carbon emissions, AWS performs the same task with an 88% lower carbon footprint."
Source: 451 Research, 2019, All Rights Reserved.
AWS has multiple initiatives to improve our water use efficiency and reduce the use of potable water for cooling data centers. AWS develops our water use strategy by evaluating climate patterns for each AWS Region, local water management and availability, and the opportunity to conserve drinking water sources.

As part of our focus on building a sustainable business for our customers and the planet, AWS is committed to reducing the water used for cooling our data centers.
The Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative (ASDI) seeks to accelerate sustainability research and innovation by minimizing the cost and time required to acquire and analyze large sustainability datasets. ASDI supports innovators and researchers with the data, tools, and technical expertise they need to move sustainability to the next level.
Customer Case Studies
Amazon customers are doing critical work in the cloud to support sustainability practices.
A bi-weekly podcast of bite-sized stories about how tech makes the world a better place. Leaders from around the globe share how they use technology to fix some of the world’s most pressing issues.
AWS purchases and retires environmental attributes, like Renewable Energy Credits and Guarantees of Origin, to cover the non-renewable energy we use in these regions:
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U.S. West (Oregon)
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GovCloud (U.S. West)
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Europe (Frankfurt)
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Canada (Central)
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Europe (Ireland)
Latest News
See how we put our scale and inventive culture to work on building a sustainable future.
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AWS DeepRacer League expands to include Capital One employees’ children, creating an interest in machine learning.
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Black Girls CODE Founder, Kimberly Bryant, tells Amazon CTO, Dr. Werner Vogels, why she was “haunted” by the idea of not building her nonprofit.
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As consumer expectations have evolved during the pandemic, Coca-Cola Freestyle responds with new 'pour by phone' contactless experience powered by AWS.