Amazon can be relentless in pursuit of its goals — making two-day shipping possible anywhere in the U.S. and building its own fleet of cargo planes are good examples. But when it comes to one of society's biggest challenges, dealing with climate change, the online giant has not been seen as a corporate leader. That is beginning to change.
Amazon would not disclose how it plans to achieve net zero status or report its carbon emissions beyond its blog post. UPS received an A from the CDP in 2018; DHL received an A-; FedEx received a B. Since 2010 the only grade from the CDP that Amazon has received is an F — for non-participation. Reporting carbon emissions is a good first step, but proactively changing a business to be carbon-neutral is a far larger challenge.
Still, she provided some measured support."We've been waiting for Amazon to join the sustainability movement, so it's great news to have them make an announcement like this, even if it's unclear if they've used the industry standard to set their target" Greene said. Greene said it's unclear if delivery to customers is the only part of their operations and supply chain that will be included in the reduction target. Amazon already uses hydrogen-fuel forklifts in warehouses and when it comes to small vehicles and vans, Greene agrees the industry has seen improvements delivering packages to customers.
Greene argues there are currently no carbon offsetting projects that are specifically related to reducing emissions in the transportation sector, and it's even more important that the methodology Amazon uses to calculate that figure aligns with others in their industry. Since Amazon subcontracts companies like UPS, FedEx and DHL to deliver its packages, transparency on carbon emissions down the supply chain is critical, Greene said.
Have you seen some of the wasteful packaging they engage in?