Amazon’s Carbon Emissions Soar Amid AI Data Center Expansion
Amazon.com Inc. revealed on July 1, 2026, that its carbon emissions have escalated for the second year in a row in 2025, hitting an estimated 81 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This represents a significant 16% increase from 2024. The primary driver behind this alarming surge is the company’s continuous expansion of AI-powered data centers and its burgeoning delivery network.
The e-commerce and cloud behemoth’s emissions from purchased electricity alone skyrocketed by 34% in 2025. This surge is attributed to the energy-intensive demands of server farms that support its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division. These figures indicate that Amazon’s total carbon output is now a staggering 58% higher than in 2019. Interestingly, 2019 was the year when Amazon committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.
Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst acknowledged the daunting challenge in the company’s annual sustainability report. She highlighted that the rate and scale of AI adoption is unparalleled. However, on a brighter note, Amazon has managed to maintain its record of matching 100% of its company-wide electricity use with purchased clean energy for the third year in a row. The company also boasts the largest corporate electric vehicle fleet in North America, with over 52,700 delivery vans globally. Despite these efforts, critics and environmental advocates are demanding a more immediate and transparent response to the growing emissions gap.
Source: Bloomberg – Amazon’s Carbon Emissions Rose 16% in 2025 Amid Data Center Boom