Amazon's 2025 sustainability report shows a 16% rise in carbon emissions, mainly from the electricity used by its growing data center network. Indirect emissions from purchased power jumped 34% as the company expanded infrastructure to support AI workloads. Amazon has pledged net zero by 2040, but total emissions have climbed 58% since the pledge was made in 2019. Amazon points to a 38% drop in carbon intensity since 2019, meaning emissions per dollar of revenue are falling. Critics, including the employee group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, say total emissions are what matter for the climate. The article includes both the company's defense and the critics' position, making it a useful read for anyone tracking the tension between AI growth and corporate climate targets.
