Abstract

The case “Amazon Web Services’ Efforts toward Green Computing” discusses the efforts made by leading cloud service provider Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon), to adopt green computing practices in its operations. The case starts out by going into the reasons for the high level of carbon emissions attributed to the data centers of many cloud platforms that include a rapid addition of capacity and usage of power from dirty energy sources. The case then provides an overview of the green computing practices undertaken by AWS through power purchase agreements with producers of renewable energy and usage of equipment to boost energy efficiency at its data centers. Though different Information Technology (IT) companies have taken up many activities to reduce their carbon footprint, it is believed that each one of them, including AWS, has a long way to go to become completely green. While Jeff Bezos (Bezos), Founder and CEO of Amazon, was confident that the green computing measures deployed by AWS were contributing to environmental sustainability to a high extent, non-governmental environmental organizations such as Greenpeace begged to differ. Can Bezos continue showcasing the current green computing measures of AWS to stave off pressure from not only Greenpeace, but also his employees in the long term? Or will he be forced to do more?

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the current global hardware trends.
• Explore different green IT initiatives in internal operations, as well as products and services.
• Discuss the need for top management to pledge enterprise-wide commitment to environmental sustainability.
• Evaluate different energy efficiency operations to achieve a low carbon economy.
• Examine the role of external stakeholders in influencing a company’s environmentally sustainable business practices.

Keywords

Hardware Trends; Green Computing; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Responsibility; Green IT; Green Technologies; Carbon Footprint; Green Data Center; Green Energy; Energy Star Certification; Waste Water Management; Disposal and Recycling; Energy Utilization; Renewable Energy Credit; Energy Efficiency