Amazon has frequently been criticized by those in the environmental movement and is the subject of a boycott for ethical consumers.
There are many ethical concerns surrounding Amazon, including issues around climate change, environmental reporting, habitats & resources, pollutions and toxics, arms & military supply, human rights, worker's rights, supply chain management, irresponsible marketing, animal rights, animal testing, factory farming, the use of controversial technologies, political activities and anti-social finance.
Amazon Eco-Friendly Initiatives
But there is hope on the horizon and things are slowly beginning to move in the right direction, at least when it comes to some of these concerns.
Amazon might not be perfect, but they have made several commitments and developed a number of eco-friendly initiatives that offer hope for a better future:
Amazon's Net-Zero Goals
Amazon is one of many companies that have made a commitment to reach the Paris Agreement ten years early. Their goal is to be net-zero carbon by 2040. The company has already made a commitment to use 100% renewable energy by 2025. They have ordered over 100,000 fully electric delivery vehicles and plan to invest $100 million in reforestation projects around the world.
Amazon also launched the Climate Pledge Fund, a $2 billion investment platform. The fund has been created to provide financial backing for visionary companies whose products and services will facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Climate Pledge Friendly Program
Amazon is now also making it easier for businesses to highlight their eco-friendly and sustainable credentials and for customers to seek out sustainable, eco-friendly products.
Compact by Design
They have partnered with trusted third-party certifications and created their own certification, Compact by Design, to highlight products that meet sustainability standards and help preserve the natural world.
Compact by Design identifies products which have more efficient design – which in turn means that they require less packaging and are more efficient to ship. This can result in significant CO2 emission reductions over time.
And this is just the beginning. The Climate Pledge Friendly scheme recognizes products which have improvements in at least one aspect of sustainability. They are working with manufacturers to add more certifications and certify more products over time.
Climate Pledge Friendly Scheme requirements
To be part of the Climate Pledge Friendly Scheme, businesses must be partnered with one in a list of certifiers, each of which certify based on different criteria, but which in some way help to reduce negative impact on people and planet.
Consumers must still do their own research, of course, into individual products within this category and the standards they have met. But this Climate Friendly Program makes it easier for those who want to live more green, ethical and sustainable lives to make the right choices when it comes to what they buy.