You’re probably familiar with Prime, Alexa and Same Day Deliveries. But, Jenna Leiner, Sustainability Lead at Amazon Web Services (AWS) APAC, is on a mission to prove that there is much more to the world’s biggest e-commerce brand – beyond their iconic in-house brand leggings! We recently caught up with Jenna, who shared insights into AWS’s groundbreaking initiatives for Amazon and sustainability – including their particularly ambitious goal to return more water to communities than they use by 2030.
According to Jenna, sustainability is a priority at every level of Amazon Web Services. And, as part of Amazon, AWS is committed to the Climate Pledge, aiming for net-zero carbon by 2040. This commitment drives every aspect of their operations, from data centre design to customer interactions.
A standout aspect of AWS’s sustainability strategy is its focus on water conservation. With Jenna explaining that water is crucial for cooling data centres, before exploring the innovative ways AWS will use water and energy more efficiently, such as liquid cooling technologies.
These sustainability solutions are tailored to the specific needs of each region they operate in. ““Our goal is overarching, but the approach varies by region,” Jenna says. “In the Nordics, for example, the strategy will differ significantly from tropical Singapore. Our water strategy must adapt to these regional differences, demonstrating agility in our approach.”
Jenna also highlighted how migrating compute-heavy workloads to AWS data centres from on-premises facilities in Australia can reduce carbon emissions by up to 94%.
“Essentially, it’s about looking at lower carbon concrete options,” she said. “Obviously, we build these data centres. It’s not in the cloud; it’s physical infrastructure. So, we have the typical elements that go in. We have concrete, we have steel, we have windows, we have doors and roofs. Our teams are looking at alternate materials that still keep the same structural integrity of the building. But, that come at a lower carbon cost.”
It is this commitment to renewable energy, that has allowed AWS to match 100% of their global electricity usage to renewable sources seven years ahead of schedule.
For Jenna, however, AWS’s energy-positive initiatives aren’t just about reducing consumption within their data centres – it’s about giving back to communities.
“Outside these four walls, we obviously have a big presence in a lot of communities throughout the world,” Jenna shared. “So, we want to make sure, for example, that the water we’re using is sustainable. And, that we’re not taking away from local communities.” It is through this strategy that AWS plans to return nearly 32 million litres of water to the Sydney catchment area with one of their projects. Boosting catchment health and biodiversity as a result.
Balancing the rapid growth of technologies like Artificial Intelligence with the need for environmental responsibility is a challenge Jenna acknowledges. However, this tension motivates AWS to continue innovating responsibly.
“We are investing heavily in AI,” says Jenna. “And, I am personally excited about these digital technologies because they have the potential to solve some of the challenges in the climate change space that we haven’t been able to address before.”
When asked about handling the pressure from reporters and regulators, Jenna says she welcomes it. “It gives me ammunition to go back to my leadership and say, we need to be doing more… There’s a responsibility to really get the momentum back and get the excitement back that we could turn things around.”
For more stories on sustainability read about self-watering soil, here.
