Amazon Web Services Uses Low Carbon Concrete - Diversified Communications

Commercial, Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  January 6, 2023

Amazon Web Services Uses Low Carbon Concrete

Amazon Web Services (AWS) entered into a partnership to receive low-carbon ECOPact concrete for the construction of several Amazon data centers in northern Virginia. 

The company is working with Holcim US, a sustainable building solutions company, and Baker Concrete Construction.

Concrete contributes a significant share of embodied carbon in data center construction, and AWS is undertaking initiatives to reduce the carbon impact of the concrete required.

AWS implemented a new design standard requiring concrete with at least a 20% reduction in embodied carbon versus standard concrete for new U.S. data centers. Holcim's ECOPact mixes allow AWS to not only meet this requirement but almost double it.

Accelerating the use of low-carbon building materials is essential for Holcim to meet its worldwide 2030 climate target of reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions per ton of cementitious materials by 25% by 2030 (from a 2018 base year). Partnerships with companies like AWS  demonstrate Holcim's commitment.

"As part of The Climate Pledge, Amazon is committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040—10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement," said Gurmeet Sethi, AMER Head of AWS Data Center Procurement, in a statement. "To help meet that commitment, AWS is focused on continuous sustainability-related innovation across our global infrastructure, and forging industry collaborations with companies like Holcim is one way we can do that. This will both allow AWS to further reduce carbon emissions associated with building of our data centers and create new opportunities to build infrastructure more sustainably across the region."




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