Even after getting a firm cold shoulder from their boss Jeff Bezos, Amazon Employees are not giving up in their quest for climate change justice at the global company.
This week over 8000 Amazon Employees have signed an open letter asking their company to take action in reducing it’s environmental impact.
It was hoped that they would be able to make their case directly to their boss, Jeff Bezos – CEO of Amazon. With the annual shareholder meeting taking place this Wednesday in Seattle there seemed like no better time to catch Bezos when everybody was watching!
However he was unavailable – at least not at the shareholder meeting on Wednesday.
Hew as present to answer question on stage in the afternoon and discuss the years business highlights. The climate change proposals were mentioned later on but when the employees who had penned it were given an opportunity to speak, Bezos was not even in the room!
It was Amazon employee Emily Cunningham who first stood up and introduced the proposals to other shareholders at the meeting. a
Emily was nervous with her first question asking simply – ‘where is Jeff Bezos?’
She had requested his presence so she could ‘speak with him directly’ however the event moderator could only respond by saying ‘he will be out later’.
It is safe to say an awkward silence then followed!
Emily asked if Bezos would would be able to hear about their concerns at some point? The moderator replied with ‘I assume so’.
This was an issue close to the heart of many Amazon Employees and it was were disappointing to them that they were unable to get the attention of their leader.
Taking to the Amazon Employees for climate justice twitter account they said ‘this is not the kind of leadership we need to tackle the climate crisis’. They want a clear path for the company to become carbon neutral with zero emissions.
Amazon is operating in an increasingly complex landscape with the \$915 billion dollar global company having to deal with increasingly fierce criticism and scrutiny over its questionable business processes.
The company is still heavily reliant on ‘heavy’ emissions producing trucks and planes as well as using an enormous amount of corrugated packaging as well as polythene sealer and foil packaging.
Aside from carbon emissions the use of heat sealer machines and conveyor belts in their distribution and fulfilment centres uses huge amounts of electricity – usually from coal fired power stations.
This is just the tip of the iceberg though. It is thought by most employees there that radical action is required to address the companies impact on the environment.
Will Jeff Bezos and the Board listen though? Well, it seems so. Because after the employees’ initiative, Amazon executives made some commitments.
Amazon’s Commitments to Sustainability
Amazon plans to power its global infrastructure with 100% renewable energy by 2030, and strive towards carbon neutrality by 2040.
To reach this ambitious goal, they are launching the Climate Pledge- which meets the Paris agreement standards ten years ahead of schedule.
As part of its mission to decrease its environmental footprint, Amazon has purchased 100,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian.
In one bold move, Amazon has positioned itself at the forefront of positive climate action. This is a watershed moment for how businesses can be good global citizens and make an impact on the planet's future.
Not only did Amazon make these actions. The company also only included some changes to its packaging as part of its commitment.
Recyclable packaging
Amazon is working to provide recyclable packaging that minimises waste while still ensuring damage-free delivery.
They employ machine learning algorithms and cutting-edge manufacturing partnerships to ensure quality control and scalability.
Minimising Packaging
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in eco-friendly packaging, particularly with the rise of online shopping and concern over climate change.
Investing in materials and methods that cut package weight each shipment by 38%, e-commerce behemoth Amazon has already reduced almost 1.5 million tons of packaging. However, questions remain whether this is just greenwashing or if Amazon is making strides toward minimising packaging for customers.
At its core, reducing the amount of material used for packing goods is a matter of efficiency. Lowering the amount of postage required to deliver products can prove costly in the long run, but it also reduces waste production. This means that higher-quality products use less packaging due to their decreased risk of being damaged or stolen during transport.
Similarly, Amazon's Frustration-Free Packaging Initiative refines product dimensions and filaments to fit exactly within their shipping containers - ultimately preventing any wasted space from occurring when sent out.
Additionally, Amazon now uses double-layered corrugated cardboard that is 50% more efficient than single layers - cutting down total material use even more significantly than ever before
Packopt Developed
Amazon, despite attempts to be more environmentally conscious, is often criticised for its environmental practices - specifically with the amount of cardboard packaging material used and wasted every year.
To try and combat this issue, Amazon has developed PackOpt - a web-based tool that uses shipment data and product dimensions inputs to create boxes tailored exactly to fit each item ordered. This could potentially reduce cardboard waste by 7-10%.
However, some have expressed scepticism over the actual efficacy of such a platform given Amazon's huge catalogue of products and the ongoing practice of shipping multiple items in one box. Moreover, even if PackOpt proves successful at reducing cardboard waste, there are still numerous other areas where the tech giant needs to make improvements before it can be considered a truly sustainable business.
To its credit though, Amazon has shown commitment to tackling these issues head-on and has continually showcased its determination toward creating a more sustainable future for all.
In conclusion, Amazon has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, but some sceptics question the company’s commitment to true sustainability.
PackOpt’s technology could have a significant effect in helping to demonstrate that Amazon is serious about its Climate Pledge.
