AWS Makes Strides Toward Water Positive Goal

Today’s ESG Updates

• AWS Reaches Halfway Mark in Water Positive Goal: AWS hits 53% progress toward returning more water than it uses by 2030.
• Walmart, Netflix Shareholders Reject Anti-DEI Push: Anti-DEI proposals gain less than 1% support at both companies’ annual meetings.
• EPA Moves to Let Texas Oversee CO2 Injection Permits: Texas may soon manage its own carbon capture project approvals.
• Development Banks Set to Invest €3B in Fight Against Ocean Plastics: Banks unite to combat rising plastic pollution in oceans.

AWS reaches halfway mark in goal to become water positive by 2030

Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced it has reached 53% of its goal to become “water positive” by 2030—returning more water than it uses—up from 41% in 2023. Since setting the target in 2022, AWS has focused on water efficiency, sustainable sourcing, reuse, and replenishment projects. Water is critical for cooling data centers, yet increasingly scarce. To address this, AWS plans to expand its recycled water use to over 120 U.S. data center locations by 2030. This system, already in use in Virginia and California, conserves freshwater and can reduce water usage by up to 85% compared to traditional cooling methods.

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Further reading: Amazon’s AWS More than Halfway to Achieving 2030 Water Positive Goal

Walmart and Netflix shareholders reject anti-DEI proposals by overwhelming margin

Shareholders at Walmart and Netflix overwhelmingly rejected anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) proposals from the conservative group National Center for Public Policy Research, with each resolution receiving less than 1% support. This continues a broader trend, with similar proposals recently failing at companies like Apple, Amazon, and Goldman Sachs. The proposals followed increased scrutiny of corporate DEI efforts after a Supreme Court decision against affirmative action in college admissions. Both Walmart and Netflix boards opposed the resolutions, defending their DEI efforts as aligned with company values and legal compliance, and emphasizing the importance of inclusion for business success and employee engagement.

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Further reading: More than 99% of Walmart, Netflix Shareholders Reject Anti-DEI Proposals

EPA proposes granting Texas authority over carbon capture project permits

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed approving Texas’ request to manage its own permitting for carbon dioxide injection projects, known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). This move, long supported by Texas regulators and oil companies, would allow the state to oversee Class VI wells used to store CO2 underground, helping reduce emissions from industrial facilities. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that Texas is best equipped to protect its water while advancing CCS. However, environmental groups and landowners have raised concerns about groundwater contamination and seismic risks. Federal incentives for CCS remain largely intact under current legislation.

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Further Reading: EPA proposes giving Texas authority to oversee CO2 injection permits

Development banks pledge €3 billion to combat ocean plastic pollution by 2030

A coalition of development banks plans to invest at least €3 billion ($3.4 billion) by 2030 to combat marine plastic pollution through an expanded Clean Oceans Initiative (COI). The initiative, led by the European Investment Bank and joined by major European and international lenders, builds on €4 billion already invested since 2018 in waste management and water treatment projects. The next phase will also target upstream waste sources, such as plastic production and packaging innovation. With microplastic pollution worsening globally, the initiative aims to develop scalable solutions and collaborate with banks in Asia and Latin America, key regions for ocean waste.

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Further reading: Development banks to invest 3 billion euros in ocean plastics fight

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit:  Rubaitul Azad