This summer, the American company Amazon began building a series of warehouses in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Despite widespread concerns about the company's environmental record, few local officials are opposing the projects. Vert investigated to understand the reasons behind this lack of resistance. As the world's largest e-commerce company, Amazon has been expanding its presence in France. In early July 2026, it opened its ninth distribution center in Colombier-Saugnieu (Rhône), near the Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport. Now, the company operates over 35 sites across the country. The regional prefect, Étienne Guyot, described the project as "major," noting that state services had supported its implementation. The warehouse covers 180,000 square meters—equivalent to 25 football fields—with 40,000 storage shelves, 4,000 robots, and plans to create 3,000 jobs by 2027, at an investment of 200 million euros. Amazon has chosen the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region as a priority for its expansion. In July and August, amid a heatwave, the company announced several new projects: a 50,000 square meter logistics platform in Mably (Loire) by the end of 2026, a second level of 36,000 square meters at the Montélimar (Drôme) site, and a 31,000 square meter warehouse in Saint-Georges-les-Bains (Ardèche). In early July, Amazon also released its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which increased by 16% in 2025 and by 58% since 2019. The company aims for carbon neutrality by 2040, though this growth is partly due to its investment in artificial intelligence (AI), a major source of CO2 emissions. In 2026, Amazon, along with Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet (Google), invested over 600 billion euros in AI. At the same time, the company cut 10% of its global office jobs, totaling 30,000 positions. Despite Amazon's controversial reputation in France, opposition to its projects has grown quieter. Out of four new sites planned in the region, only the one in Colombier-Saugnieu faced appeals from local groups and the City of Lyon, which were all rejected. The promise of job creation is a powerful argument used by Amazon and local officials. Sandrine Auquier, the mayor of Colombier-Saugnieu, welcomed the project, saying it was "excellent news for the territory." She noted that the project would create 600 jobs initially, eventually growing to 3,000. Similarly, Geneviève Peyrard, mayor of Saint-Georges-les-Bains, said that 50 jobs would be a significant boost for her commune. Jacques Dubay, a former mayor of Saint-Péray (Ardèche), acknowledged that mayors often feel compelled to accept Amazon projects, as refusing could mean another commune benefits. Working conditions at Amazon are often physically demanding, with many roles involving repetitive tasks that can lead to injuries. Cindy Gencel, an order preparer at the Montélimar site and a union representative, mentioned that while the company is expanding its maintenance and IT teams, the majority of jobs are in warehousing and order preparation, which can lead to health issues. Despite these concerns, union members have expressed mixed views, with some acknowledging the benefits of the jobs created. However, social dialogue with the company has been challenging, with many benefits lost over the years, such as profit-sharing and transportation bonuses, replaced by less favorable alternatives.