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Amazon, the worldwide e-commerce powerhouse, has taken a major step ahead in its dedication to sustainability with the announcement of a brand new 198-megawatt (MW) wind farm challenge in Osmanabad, Maharashtra, India. This achievement catapults Amazon’s renewable vitality tasks in India to a grand whole of fifty wind and photo voltaic installations, aggregating a formidable 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of unpolluted vitality capability. Notably, this milestone reinforces Amazon’s place not solely as the biggest company purchaser of renewable vitality on a worldwide scale, a title it has held since 2020, but in addition as the biggest company purchaser of renewable vitality in India, based on publicly obtainable information and Bloomberg New Power Finance.
The growth of Amazon’s wind and photo voltaic farms in India just isn’t solely a testomony to the corporate’s inexperienced vitality dedication but in addition a supply of serious financial and environmental advantages for the nation. These tasks have injected an estimated $349 million (INR 2,885 crore) into Indian communities between 2014 and 2022. Furthermore, they’ve contributed roughly $87 million (INR 719 crore) to India’s Gross Home Product (GDP) and supported over 20,600 native full-time equal jobs in 2022 alone, based on an financial mannequin developed by Amazon.
Amazon’s dedication to renewable vitality is in concord with its broader technique to fight local weather change. The fast growth of renewable vitality is taken into account a extremely efficient strategy, notably in a rustic like India the place leaders are dedicated to transitioning away from fossil fuels. As highlighted by Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations at Amazon India, these efforts prolong past merely powering Amazon’s operations with 100% renewable vitality by 2025. Additionally they embody creating employment alternatives and fostering financial development inside native communities. Amazon is captivated with persevering with to contribute to India’s financial and environmental objectives as a part of its ongoing dedication to turning into a extra sustainable enterprise.
Shri Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, Joint Secretary of The Ministry of New and Renewable Power, Authorities of India, has warmly welcomed Amazon’s investments in renewable vitality. He emphasised that such investments not solely additional Amazon’s sustainability objectives but in addition encourage different firms to spend money on renewable vitality in India. This, in flip, accelerates the nation’s progress in the direction of attaining its 2030 renewable vitality objectives. India has already surpassed its Nationally Decided Contributions goal by sourcing 40% of its capability from renewable sources forward of schedule. The nation can be on a trajectory to turn out to be one of many world’s largest photo voltaic module producers, accompanied by a thriving wind vitality manufacturing ecosystem. India stays steadfast in its dedication to attaining the NDC objective of fifty% capability from renewable vitality, and the constructive function performed by the renewable vitality sector in enabling firms like Amazon to attain their 100% renewable vitality objectives is heartening.
The newly introduced Osmanabad wind farm marks Amazon’s seventh utility-scale renewable vitality challenge in India inside the previous yr. Alongside these tasks, Amazon has unveiled a complete of 43 rooftop photo voltaic installations, that are integral to powering native Amazon amenities. When all 50 tasks are absolutely operational, they’re anticipated to generate sufficient vitality to energy over 1.1 million properties in New Delhi every year, all whereas offering clear vitality to gasoline Amazon’s information facilities, logistics amenities, bodily shops, and company places of work.
Over the previous a number of years, Amazon has carefully collaborated with policymakers, regulators, and varied business stakeholders to increase company renewable vitality procurement choices in India. This collaborative effort has not solely paved the way in which for the implementation of recent renewable vitality tasks however has additionally facilitated the scaling of unpolluted vitality within the nation.
Amazon’s dedication to sustainability extends past renewable vitality. The corporate is actively striving to attain net-zero carbon by 2040 by way of its initiative, The Local weather Pledge, which boasts over 400 world signatories, together with 9 Indian corporations. Amazon can be main the cost in reworking its transportation community by electrifying its supply fleet. At present, Amazon boasts over 6,000 electrical automobiles in its India supply fleet, serving greater than 400 native cities and contributing to lowered carbon emissions. Along with its renewable vitality initiatives, Amazon is investing $15 million in nature-based tasks designed to assist communities, improve local weather resilience, and protect biodiversity within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) area. The primary $3 million from this fund’s APAC allocation can be directed in the direction of tasks in India. The inaugural challenge within the Western Ghats includes the planting of 300,000 timber. This endeavor not solely creates carbon sinks but in addition enhances wildlife conservation and livelihoods, including to its environmental advantages.
