Amazon's sustainability chief admits no clear path to 2040 net-zero goal
Amazon's chief sustainability officer, Kara Hurst, acknowledged at an Axios event that the company lacks a concrete plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Despite being one of the largest buyers of clean energy with 42 gigawatts in its portfolio, Amazon's carbon intensity rose last year compared to 2024. The company is also planning a 7.65-gigawatt natural gas power plant for an AI data center campus, which could release up to 33 million tons of CO2 annually.
Amazon's climate pledge, announced in 2019, set a 2040 net-zero target that predates its current AI infrastructure boom. The company's 42-gigawatt clean energy portfolio makes it a major renewable buyer, yet its carbon intensity increased in the most recent reporting year. The proposed natural gas plant for an AI campus would produce emissions comparable to roughly seven million passenger vehicles annually, according to the article's figures. Hurst emphasized that Amazon's supply chain spans aviation, agriculture, construction, and other sectors, meaning the company depends on external partners to meet its climate commitments. She also noted that Amazon holds itself accountable to the pledge, though the company's recent fossil fuel investment suggests competing priorities between revenue growth and decarbonization.
Amazon's admission could signal broader challenges for corporate climate pledges across the technology sector, particularly as AI infrastructure demands surge. If one of the world's largest clean energy buyers cannot chart a concrete decarbonization path, other companies may follow suit in softening their targets. Customers and investors relying on corporate sustainability claims could face greater uncertainty when making purchasing or portfolio decisions. Communities near the proposed gas plant may experience local environmental impacts, while the global push toward net-zero emissions could lose momentum if flagship corporate commitments prove aspirational rather than actionable.