Because it launched in 2022, the Buyer Carbon Footprint Software (CCFT) has supported our clients’ sustainability journey to trace, measure, and assessment their carbon emissions by offering the estimated carbon emissions related to their utilization of Amazon Internet Providers (AWS) providers.
In April, we made main updates within the CCFT, together with simpler entry to carbon emissions information, visibility into emissions by AWS Area, inclusion of location-based emissions (LBM), an up to date, independently-verified methodology in addition to transferring to a devoted web page within the AWS Billing console.
The CCFT is knowledgeable by the Greenhouse Fuel (GHG) Protocol’s classification of emissions, which classifies an organization’s emissions. At this time, we’re asserting the inclusion of Scope 3 emissions information and an replace to Scope 1 emissions within the CCFT. The brand new emission classes complement the prevailing Scope 1 and a couple of information, and so they’ll give our clients a complete look into their carbon emissions information.

On this up to date methodology we incorporate new emissions classes. We’ve added Scope 1 refrigerants and pure fuel, alongside the prevailing Scope 1 emissions from gas combustion in emergency backup turbines (diesel). Though Scope 1 emissions characterize a small share of general emissions, we offer our clients with a whole picture of their carbon emissions.
To resolve which classes of Scope 3 to incorporate in our mannequin we checked out how materials every of them had been to the general carbon influence and confirmed the overwhelming majority of emissions had been represented. With that in thoughts, the methodology now contains:
Gas- and energy-related actions (“FERA” underneath the GHG Protocol) – This contains upstream emissions from bought fuels, upstream emissions of bought electrical energy, and transmission and distribution (T&D) losses. AWS calculates these emissions utilizing each LBM and the market-based technique (MBM).
IT {hardware} – AWS makes use of a complete cradle-to-gate method that tracks emissions from uncooked materials extraction by manufacturing and transportation to AWS information facilities. We use 4 calculation pathways: process-based life cycle evaluation (LCA) with engineering attributes, extrapolation, consultant class common LCA, and financial input-output LCA. AWS prioritizes essentially the most detailed and correct strategies for elements that contribute considerably to general emissions.
Buildings and tools – AWS follows established complete constructing life cycle evaluation (wbLCA) requirements, contemplating emissions from building, use, and end-of-life phases. The evaluation covers information heart shells, rooms, and long-lead tools akin to air dealing with items and turbines. The methodology makes use of each process-based life cycle evaluation fashions and financial input-output evaluation to supply complete protection.
The Scope 3 emissions are then amortized over the property’ service life (6 years for IT {hardware}, 50 years for buildings) to calculate month-to-month emissions that may be allotted to clients. This amortization signifies that we pretty distribute the whole embodied carbon of every asset throughout its operational lifetime, accounting for eventualities akin to early retirement or prolonged use.
All these updates are a part of methodology model 3.0.0 and are defined intimately in our methodology doc, which has been independently verified by a 3rd get together.
Tips on how to entry the CCFT
To get began, go to the AWS Billing and Value Administration console and select Buyer Carbon Footprint Software underneath Value and Utilization Evaluation. You’ll be able to entry your carbon emissions information within the dashboard, obtain a csv file, or export all information utilizing fundamental SQL and visualize your information by integrating with AWS Information Exports and Amazon Fast Sight.
To make sure you may make significant year-over-year comparisons, we’ve recalculated historic information again to January 2022 utilizing model 3 of the methodology. All the information displayed within the CCFT now makes use of model 3. To see historic information utilizing v3, select Create customized information export. A brand new information export now contains new columns breaking down emissions by Scope 1, 2, and three.

You’ll be able to see estimated AWS emissions and estimated emissions financial savings. The instrument exhibits emissions calculated utilizing the MBM for 38 months of knowledge by default. You will discover your emissions calculated utilizing the LBM by selecting LBM within the Calculation technique filter on the dashboard. The unit of measurement for carbon emissions is metric tons of carbon dioxide equal (MTCO2e), an industry-standard measure.

Within the Carbon emissions abstract, it exhibits tendencies of your carbon emissions over time. You may as well discover emissions ensuing out of your utilization of AWS providers and throughout all AWS Areas. To be taught extra, go to Viewing your carbon footprint within the AWS documentation.
Voice of the shopper
A few of our clients had early entry to those updates. That is what they shared with us:
Sunya Norman, senior vp, Impression at Salesforce shared “Efficient decarbonization begins with visibility into our carbon footprint, particularly in Scope 3 emissions. Trade averages are solely a place to begin. The granular carbon information we get from cloud suppliers like AWS are crucial to serving to us higher perceive the precise emissions related to our cloud infrastructure and focus reductions the place they matter most.”
Gerhard Loske, Head of Environmental Administration at SAP stated “The newest updates to the CCFT are an enormous step ahead in serving to us managing SAP’s sustainability objectives. With new Area-specific information, we will now see higher the place emissions are coming from and take focused motion. The upcoming addition of Scope 3 emissions will give us a a lot fuller image of our carbon footprint throughout AWS workloads. These enhancements make it simpler for us to show information into significant local weather motion.”
Pinterest’s World Sustainability Lead, Mia Ketterling highlighted the advantages of the Scope 3 emission information, saying, “By together with Scope 3 emissions information of their CCFT, AWS empowers clients like Pinterest to extra precisely measure and report the total carbon footprint of our digital operations. Enhanced transparency helps us drive significant local weather motion throughout our worth chain.”
When you’re attending AWS re:Invent in individual in December, be a part of technical leaders from AWS, Adobe, and Salesforce as they reveal how the Buyer Carbon Footprint Software helps their environmental initiatives.
Now obtainable
With Scope 1, 2, and three protection within the CCFT, you possibly can monitor your emissions over time to know the way you’re trending in direction of your sustainability objectives and see the influence of any carbon discount tasks you’ve carried out. To be taught extra, go to the Buyer Carbon Footprint Software (CCFT) web page.
Give these new contains a attempt within the AWS Billing and Value Administration console and ship suggestions to AWS re:Put up for the CCFT or by your typical AWS Help contacts.
— Channy

