Sustainability Assessment Checklist Example

Context: 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 KPIs and reduce environmental impact.

Checklist Steps:

1. Business Requirements Analysis: Identify application latency needs, compliance requirements, and cost constraints before narrowing down potential AWS Regions.
2. Carbon Footprint Evaluation: Consider proximity to renewable energy sources or AWS Regions that use higher proportions of clean energy to reduce environmental impact.
3. Performance Testing: Conduct tests to compare latency and throughput in possible Regions. This helps ensure your end users experience minimal network lag.
4. Cost Considerations: Compare pricing for compute, storage, and data transfer charges across regions while factoring in any sustainability benefits gained.
5. Workload Scalability: Forecast growth and resource requirements to confirm that chosen Regions can accommodate expansion without compromising sustainability goals.
6. Monitoring & Reporting: Set up real-time metrics in Amazon CloudWatch or third-party tools to track performance, cost, and carbon emissions. Use these insights for continuous improvement.

By applying this checklist, a Project Manager can select an AWS Region that balances operational excellence, cost efficiency, and sustainability objectives.