Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Amazon
Amazon would be quite the ally to have.
On Thursday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced the beginning of “The Climate Pledge,” an official vow of support from Amazon to drastically reduce its carbon emissions with the eventual goal of being completely neutral by 2040.
Amazon’s pledge is actually 10 years more optimistic than even the most generous estimates from the Paris climate agreement, which hopes for world neutrality by 2050. According to Bezos, Amazon will measure and report all emissions going forward and begin implementing strategies to decarbonize and offset where it can. Any other interested companies are encouraged to sign the pledge as well. Bezos hopes that Amazon can be 80 percent renewable in five years, and 100 percent in eleven.
While this pledge sounds very altruistic of Bezos and Amazon, it’s also rather conveniently timed, considering a looming Amazon employee walkout. 15,500 Amazon employees are planning on walking off the job on September 20th to protest the company’s polluting and support of fossil fuel companies and climate change deniers. This will be one of numerous demonstrations held worldwide in the days leading up to the UN summit on climate action set for September 23rd.
Still, whether the intent is completely benevolent or not, Bezos is definitely drafting plans for cleaner delivery. It’ll take a lot of work, considering Amazon’s already massive infrastructure, but ideas are on the table. One of those ideas is to utilize a fleet of electric vans to make deliveries exclusively on Amazon’s behalf. Bezos already has a deal for 100,000 electric vans from startup company Rivian in the pipeline.
Bezos’ intent seems to be to not only honor the Paris climate agreement, but optimize it, whether or not the US government agrees with him. Shouldn’t be too difficult for him, considering the guy’s richer than Batman.
