Despite green pledges, Amazon’s carbon footprint grew 15 per cent

Amazon said Tuesday that its carbon footprint rose 15% last year, even as it launched initiatives to reduce its harm on the environment.

The online shopping giant said it emitted 51.17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide last year, the equivalent of 13 coal burning power plants running for a year. That’s up from 2018, when it emitted 44.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Amazon disclosed its carbon footprint for the first time last year after employees pressured the company to do more to combat climate change.

Amazon said that while its carbon footprint grew, the amount of carbon it emitted for every dollar spent on the site fell 5 per cent between 2018 and 2019.