The online shopping giant Amazon already employs 25,000 people on a permanent basis in Spain. It currently has around forty logistics centres of different sizes throughout the country, in a network that continues to grow. It will soon open a new logistics centre in Siero (Asturias) and two delivery stations in Granada and La Coruña, which will generate another 1,500 new jobs over the next three years.

The company prides itself on its knock-on effect on the economic and social activity of the towns, large and small, in which its centres are located. This is the case of Illescas (Toledo), where it has two logistics centres and has created more than 3,000 jobs since 2019. According to a report by the consultancy Nera, Amazon has helped reduce the unemployment rate by 66% in this location, and among the under 30s it has almost halved it.

Renewable capacity
In another no less significant milestone, the company is seven years ahead of its goal of operating worldwide with 100% renewable energy. The target, set in 2019, put the goal at 2030, but it achieved it in 2023 at all its facilities, including its data centres, corporate buildings, food shops and logistics centres.

To achieve this ambitious goal, Amazon has invested billions of euros in more than 500 solar and wind projects around the world. In Spain, there are 79 installations, 49 of which are large-scale off-site projects, with the other thirty being solar roofs on their own buildings. Its renewable capacity already stands at 2.9 gigawatt peak, which it supplements with the purchase of renewable energy.

Net-zeroemissions
The next target, initially planned for 2040, will be to reach net-zero emissions. New challenges may make this more difficult, such as the growing demand for generative artificial intelligence. As such, the US company says it will continue to invest in renewable energy projects, as well as exploring new carbon-free energy sources that can complement its current mix and balance its needs, from nuclear energy to battery storage and other emerging technologies.

The company's head of sustainability, Kara Hurst, explained, "Reaching our renewable energy target is a major achievement for us, and we are proud of the work we have done to meet it seven years ahead of schedule. We also know that this is only a milestone in time and that our work to decarbonise our operations will not be the same every year. We will continue to move forward and evolve on our path to 2040."

^{Photo: Amazon}