Amazon Says Its Planet-Warming Carbon Emissions Grew 18% in 2021

Amazon.com Inc. said its carbon footprint grew 18% in 2021, as the company’s rapid growth during the pandemic overwhelmed nascent efforts to cut its contribution to the emissions warming the planet.

The world’s largest online retailer emitted 71.54 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent last year, Amazon disclosed on Monday in an updated edition of its sustainability report. That’s up about 40% since the company first disclosed the figure, with data from 2019.

Amazon’s carbon intensity –- a measure that divides its emissions by gross merchandise sales –- fell 1.9%, an indication of the company’s success in delivering products ...