Sept. 20 (UPI) — Amazon on Thursday announced a commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2040 and called on other businesses to do the same.
The online retailer introduced The Climate Pledge, a commitment to meet the terms of the Paris climate agreement 10 years earlier than its goal of 2050.
“By joining The Climate Pledge and agreeing to decarbonize on a faster time horizon, signatories will play a critical role in stimulating investment in the development of low carbon products and services that will be required to help companies meet the pledge,” the announcement states.
Companies that sign the pledge agree to report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis, implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement and neutralize any remaining emissions to achieve net zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the company would look to achieve its goal by ramping up the amount of energy it receives from renewable resources from 40 percent to 80 percent by 2024 and 100 percent by 2030.
He added the company will purchase 100,000 electronic delivery vans from Michigan-based start-up Rivian, in which Amazon has invested $400 million.
Bezos said the company’s push for one-day or same-day deliveries also will contribute to its goal of reducing emissions by lessening its reliance on delivery planes.
“It actually turns out that as you increase the speed of delivery, you have less carbon,” he said.
As part of the initiative, Bezos also pledged to encourage other companies to reduce their carbon emissions.
“We want our scale and our scope to lead the way,” said Bezos. “We have to do it.”
