Latest news with #waterpositive
Geek Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
As data center demand soars, Amazon expands use of wastewater to cool its cloud
Sustainability: News about the rapidly growing climate tech sector and other areas of innovation to protect our planet. SEE MORE Amazon data center in the Portland, Ore., area in 2022. (AWS Photo / Noah Berger) Amazon Web Services is more than halfway to its 2030 goal of being 'water positive' — meaning it replenishes more clean water than it uses. And supporting that effort is a newly announced initiative to expand its use of recycled waste water instead of drinking water to cool 120 of its U.S. data centers by the end of this decade. AWS is wringing more water out of its cloud operations, marking a 40% improvement in its water use efficiency over the past three years. And it's 53% of the way toward becoming water positive, based on 2024 data — up from 41% from the year before. 'We're pretty proud of the fact that our global water use efficiency is really industry leading,' Kevin Miller, vice president of global data center operations for AWS, said in an interview. The water challenge is driven by data centers containing servers that act as the backbone of the internet, powering increasingly popular artificial intelligence tools. The electronics produce intense heat that needs to be wicked away to keep the devices running properly, and cooling them requires a combination of energy and water use. The issue has become increasingly urgent as Amazon and other cloud giants expand their thirsty data center operations worldwide. Bloomberg recently reported that nearly two-thirds of the U.S. data centers that were built or are under development in the past three years are located in water-stressed areas. Amazon alone plans to invest $100 billion in its data centers over a decade, which includes construction of new facilities. Data center operators use a variety of cooling tech that include fans, air that's cooled using evaporated water, air conditioning, and direct liquid cooling. The strategies are a resource balancing act: air conditioning, for example, draws more electricity, but saves water, while cooling with evaporated water is less energy intensive, but sucks up water. Amazon also has clean energy goals to meet, and since 2023 has matched 100% of its electricity consumption with the purchase of an equal amount of power produced by carbon-free sources. PIpes carrying reclaimed water for cooling at an AWS data center. (AWS Photo) Optimizing cooling To keep its servers humming, AWS relies primarily on fans and evaporation-cooled air, depending on the location of the data center, the time of day, the weather and other factors. The moistened, cooled air is ultimately released from the building. 'We're constantly adjusting based on what's really going on throughout the day to keep it in the optimal cooling configuration, minimizing water usage,' Miller said. Since 2019, AWS has used recycled water at some data centers in Virginia, which is a hub for server facilities. The company currently uses reclaimed water at 24 sites, including locations in California and Singapore. The new initiative will expand the practice to Georgia and Mississippi. Miller declined to say how many data centers AWS has in total, saying that 120 sites represents 'a meaningful share' of its operations. The recycled water typically comes from sewage plants and has been treated but is not potable. By 2030, AWS expects to avoid the consumption of more than 530 million gallons of drinking-water through its use of recycled water. 'Amazon is not only preserving precious drinking water supplies for communities but also demonstrating that water reuse is a viable, sustainable solution for water-intensive industries,' said Brian Biesemeyer, interim executive director of the WateReuse Association, in a statement. To reach water positive, AWS is also investing in water storage efforts; the restoration of watersheds and wetlands that naturally replenish supplies; and the construction of water treatment systems. While it's making progress, critics say the tally should also include the significant amounts of water consumed by some of the power plants that provide energy to AWS. Racks of servers inside an AWS data center in 2023. (AWS Photo / Noah Berger) Water innovation AWS is on its sixth data center design and continues exploring ways to curb its water use, Miller said. That includes looking for leaks in pipes running to data centers. It's fine-tuning the material that the air flows through when it picks up the water to optimize the moisture in the air. AWS does dynamic models of the airflow within data centers for improved cooling. Other companies are likewise innovating to reduce water use, including fellow Seattle-area cloud behemoth Microsoft. Microsoft is using recycled water at sites in Washington, California, Texas and Singapore, and has designed a closed-loop cooling system, meaning it will need to be filled with water only once. It plans to deploy this approach in Wisconsin and Arizona next year. The company said it will use nominally more power than evaporation systems. But Amazon remains out in front when considering water use efficiency (WUE), a measure developed by the nonprofit group The Green Grid to indicate how well the resource is being used relative to a data center's energy consumption. Microsoft's WUE was 0.30 liters of water per kilowatt hour of power for its last fiscal year — which is a notable improvement over past performance. Amazon's WUE is half that amount, hitting 0.15 last year.
Entrepreneur
5 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
World Environment Day: The Corporate Commitment on Sustainability
As the climate crisis demands faster, bolder action, Indian industry is proving that companies don't just have a role in building a sustainable future—they have the resources, tools, and urgency to lead it. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. As the global climate crisis intensifies, companies across industries are moving beyond rhetoric and compliance, embedding sustainability into the heart of their operations. Within this, India's growing water crisis demands attention. The water and wastewater management market, valued at INR 192.44 billion in 2024, is expected to grow to INR 353.50 billion by 2030, according to ResearchAndMarkets. This growth is fueled by rising water scarcity, pollution awareness, and the need for innovative treatment and recycling solutions. Abhinav Singh, VP of operations, Amazon India, emphasized that water stewardship is not just an environmental issue—it's an operational priority. "Water challenges in India are deeply rooted, both from a systemic perspective as well as from a seasonal point of view," he said, noting that 600 million Indians could face high to extreme water stress by 2030. Amazon has committed to becoming water positive across its direct operations in India by 2027, a target Singh said the company is "100 per cent certain" to meet. Singh outlined that since 2020, Amazon's investments have delivered long-lasting, climate-resilient water and sanitation solutions to over a million people. Projects such as restoring Hyderabad's Sainikpuri Lake, now expected to replenish 3 billion liters of water annually, and reviving a pond near Bengaluru to return 17 million liters of water, demonstrate how businesses can operationalize environmental goals at scale. "Water is a common good, and stewardship must be a shared pursuit," Singh said, adding that Amazon's platform, the Amazon Water Dialogues, serves as both a mirror and megaphone, reflecting progress and amplifying cross-sector collaboration. Supporting this outlook is Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament, who emphasized that "India is the largest extractor of groundwater, with over 60 per cent used for agriculture and 85 per cent of drinking needs met through aquifers." Patra acknowledged the significant contributions from corporate water stewards like Amazon while calling attention to policy gaps, decentralized water governance, and the forgotten wisdom of traditional water systems. "Water harvesting methods like stepwells, johads, and percolation pits have been part of our civilization since the Harappan era," he said, urging for the integration of these time-tested practices with modern technological innovations like IoT, AI-based water monitoring, and desalination. Girish Luthra, chairman, Luthra Group, brings this point full circle. "Businesses must move beyond compliance to become active agents of climate action," he said. In waste-to-energy and water recycling, Luthra's group transforms waste into circular resources, turning environmental responsibility into operational efficiency. "Think big, start small, scale fast—and always measure what matters," he advised, echoing a principle now common among India's leading corporates. From waste recycling and energy efficiency to product design and water regeneration, the common thread is unmistakable: sustainability is no longer a marketing message or a CSR checkbox. It's a strategy. A business model. Renewability & Sustainability For Chaitanya Kalia, partner & national leader, climate change and sustainability services, EY India, plastic pollution is no longer just about litter — it's a symptom of deeper systemic issues in how we produce, consume, and dispose. With over million tonnes of plastic waste generated annually, of which less than 9 per cent is recycled, the need for circular economy models has never been greater. "Combating this crisis demands not only policy reforms and innovation in materials, but also industry-led accountability and community-level action. Only a whole-of-society approach can shift us from a throwaway culture to a regenerative one. From manufacturing to agriculture, infrastructure to construction, Indian corporates are taking bold, measurable steps to align business growth with environmental responsibility—proving that sustainability is no longer a side agenda but a strategic imperative. India pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in 2021. India's 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) highlighted a 7.93 per cent reduction in GHG emissions in 2020 compared to 2019. This signals a shift in corporate and national will—where environmental strategy and economic progress are increasingly intertwined. SKF India exemplifies this shift. "Climate crisis is not only a global responsibility but also a catalyst for driving positive and lasting impact," said Ranjan Kumar, director - legal, sustainability & corporate affairs, SKF India Limited. The company has cut CO₂ emissions by 40 per cent since 2006 and now sources nearly 100 per cent of its electricity from renewables, effectively slashing Scope 1 and 2 emissions to near-zero. This transformation, Kumar noted, stems from a structured approach grounded in ISO-certified standards, but also from a deeper integration of sustainability into every aspect of the business—from raw materials and logistics to product innovation. Shree Cement echoes this philosophy. "We view climate action not just as a regulatory obligation but as a core responsibility," said MM Rathi, joint president - power management. The company meets nearly 60 per cent of its power needs through renewable sources. Rathi said this has helped lower their carbon footprint while cutting energy costs—proof that sustainability can enhance rather than hinder business viability. The cement giant is also investing in low-carbon products such as PPC and composite cement, which reduce clinker usage and improve resource efficiency. Looking ahead, Shree Cement aims to slash Scope 1 emissions by 12.7 per cent and Scope 2 by 27.1 per cent by 2030. "Start with intention and back it with consistent action," Rathi said, urging emerging businesses to treat environmental responsibility as a long-term value creator. This principle is gaining ground even in heavy manufacturing sectors. At Action Construction Equipment (ACE), Vyom Agarwal, president, said the company is embracing clean-tech innovations like electric cranes and forklifts, along with CEV-V compliant machinery that achieves about 15 per cent fuel savings. "Sustainability practices are no longer just 'nice-to-have,' they have become mainstream and essential," Agarwal asserted. ACE's strategy includes reducing energy use, increasing renewable energy adoption, and educating partners and customers about eco-friendly alternatives. For smaller firms or MSMEs hesitant about where to begin, Agarwal advises starting with empowering leadership with data and decision-making tools. "The cumulative impact of these strategies helps organizations become truly future-ready," he said. Indian Power Sector India's power generation sector also underscores this shift. As per a report by IBEF, in FY25 (until December 2024), the power generation in India stood at 1,378.418 billion units. Between 2015 and 2022, India invested $77.7 billion in renewable energy—ranking fourth globally. The National Electricity Plan 2022–32 projects that to meet future demand, the sector will require INR 33 lakh crore ($400 billion) in investment and a workforce of nearly 3.78 million professionals. This forward-thinking, systemic view is central to Hartek Group's operations. "All businesses, regardless of their size or sector, have a responsibility to embed sustainability into core operations," said Simarpreet Singh, ED & CEO. Hartek's work in grid modernization, smart infrastructure, and renewable integration positions it at the intersection of innovation and climate action. Singh pointed to the 2025 Union Budget as a turning point, with its emphasis on ESG-based investments and green technologies. "Sustainability is not a trade-off but a key driver of progress," he said. In agriculture, where environmental sensitivity is inextricably linked to productivity, Insecticides (India) Ltd. is integrating ecological mindfulness with business outcomes. "Businesses today have a responsibility that extends beyond operational success," said Rajesh Aggarwal, MD. The company encourages judicious use of crop protection products and has even partnered with RIICO to develop a mini-forest in an industrial zone, showing how grassroots ecological action can be embedded into commercial operations. As the climate crisis demands faster, bolder action, Indian industry is proving that companies don't just have a role in building a sustainable future—they have the resources, tools, and urgency to lead it.
