Amazon £40m Sustainable Zero‑Carbon Hub in the UK

Amazon has broken ground on a new £40m delivery station in Stockton‑on‑Tees, which it aims to make the first building in its UK and European network to achieve the Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification. 

“Decarbonising buildings means tackling both how we build and how we operate,” says Prajvin Prakash, UK Director of Amazon Logistics.

“This site shows how we’re using smarter materials, advanced technology, and AI-driven insights to cut emissions from day one and improve performance over the long term. 

“When fully operational, it’s expected to consume around 50% less energy than a typical logistics building – a significant step forward as we work toward our goal to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040.

“Backed by our £40bn (US$51bn) UK investment, we’re pairing sustainability progress with long-term economic growth in communities like Stockton-on-Tees.”

A testbed for zero‑carbon logistics

Situated in the North East of England, the 10,800m² facility will sort parcels for customers across North Yorkshire and parts of County Durham, with opening scheduled for autumn 2026. The site is Amazon’s first globally to register for the International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification (v1.1). It’s expected to be eligible for formal certification in 2027, once a full year of operational data and independent assessment is complete.

The building also aligns with the emerging UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, making it an early adopter of the nation’s new benchmark for embodied and operational emissions. Amazon views the Stockton‑on‑Tees project as a prototype for scaling low‑carbon logistics assets across Europe, building on lessons from its certified sites in the US.

All sustainability, net zero and sustainable supply chain leaders should attend:

• Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit - QEII Centre, London, March 4-5
• Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit - Navy Pier, Chicago, April 21-22

Co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE, these events brings together CSOs, ESG leaders and senior decision-makers at a moment when sustainability, supply chains and commercial performance are increasingly interconnected.

Tickets can be booked online today for The Net Zero Summit and The US Summit. Group discounts available.

Cutting embodied carbon through materials and design

The delivery station’s structure combines lower‑carbon steel with high recycled content, produced using renewable energy, and mass timber beams that reduce the building’s overall footprint. Lower‑carbon concrete, wall panels and roofing materials are used throughout, with locally sourced products to minimise transport‑related emissions.

These material and procurement choices are projected to reduce construction‑related emissions by at least 20% compared with Amazon’s previous design standards, well below typical industry levels. The company plans to monitor detailed performance data and share findings with the wider industry to support adoption of lower‑carbon construction practices.

New technologies on an active construction site

Beyond sustainable materials, the project serves as a live testbed for emerging decarbonisation technologies. Cement‑free paving made with steel slag will lock captured carbon into the precast blocks used across the site, while carbon‑storing concrete elements – developed through climate‑tech ventures supported by Amazon – will permanently embed captured CO₂, cutting embodied emissions in harder‑to‑abate components.

Digital technologies play a central role. AI‑powered carbon tracking will monitor emissions across building systems such as wiring and plumbing, enabling engineers to identify efficiency opportunities during both construction and operations. Image‑recognition tools for material tracking will scan delivery notes and waste tickets, giving Amazon real‑time insights into what enters and leaves the site for more accurate carbon accounting and reduced waste – a leap forward from traditional end‑of‑project reporting.

“Businesses across the country are taking up the offer of cheap clean power to cut bills and give themselves energy security, showing that climate action is central to economic growth and job creation,” says UK Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, Lord Vallance.

Long‑term efficiency

Amazon expects the facility to consume roughly half the energy of a conventional logistics building once operational, thanks to efficiency features baked into its design from the start. More than 1,400m² of rooftop solar panels will power daytime operations, while an all‑electric heating and cooling system will remove onsite fossil fuel use.

Water‑saving fixtures are forecast to reduce water use by around 20% compared with standard systems, reinforcing the project’s focus on both resource efficiency and carbon reduction. This holistic approach reflects the Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification framework, which assesses not just design, but verified real‑world performance over time.

Green jobs backed by long‑term investment

Once the Stockton‑on‑Tees delivery station opens, it will create over 100 local jobs, including roles for managers, supervisors, and associates. Full‑time employees will earn a starting salary of £29,744 per year, along with benefits such as private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, employee discounts, and a company pension.

The £40m project forms part of Amazon’s broader plan to invest £40bn in the UK between 2025 and 2027 across logistics, cloud services, and AI innovation. Since 2010, the company has invested more than £80bn into its UK operations, creating tens of thousands of jobs. The new Stockton‑on‑Tees site exemplifies how Amazon is channelling that capital into sustainable, future‑ready infrastructure to drive economic opportunity in regional communities.