Sustainability Region Evaluation Checklist Example

Introduction

Selecting the right AWS Region for your workloads is crucial, as it impacts performance, cost, and carbon footprint. By aligning your choice with both business requirements and sustainability goals, you can enhance your key performance indicators (KPIs) and reduce environmental impact.

Checklist Steps

1. Identify Business Requirements: Determine latency, data residency, compliance, and user proximity needs to narrow down region choices.
2. Evaluate Sustainability Metrics: Review AWS-provided information on carbon intensity and renewable energy usage by region. Aim for regions with lower associated emissions.
3. Analyze Cost and Pricing: Compare pricing across shortlisted regions to ensure cost effectiveness while maintaining a reduced environmental footprint.
4. Measure Network Proximity and Latency: Use AWS tools or third-party measurements to test performance from each region to your user base.
5. Review Regional Services and Features: Confirm that the services and features you need are available in your target region without additional disabling or enabling overhead.
6. Assess Future Scalability: Evaluate how future growth might affect capacity, carbon emissions, and sustainability requirements over time.
7. Develop a Migration Strategy: If moving from an existing region, plan for a secure and efficient transition with minimal impact on sustainability benefits.

Further Considerations

• Leverage AWS tools like the AWS Region tool and Carbon Footprint tool to gather data.
• Continuously monitor metrics and optimize for greener regions as services evolve.
• Partner with seasoned AWS professionals to refine your region-selection process and prioritize sustainability.

By carefully evaluating each of these factors, you can select an AWS Region that aligns with your environmental objectives while meeting performance and cost requirements.