Nowadays it is important that businesses care about the environment as many customers pay attention to that when choosing their provider of goods and services. Running an environmentally friendly business helps you reduce your impact on the Planet and preserves the Earth’s resources for future generations.

So if you already realise the importance of making your business greener, you are probably wondering how to do it.

You can start with small changes like changing your energy-consumption habits. You can also join one of the numerous international initiatives designed to help businesses reduce their carbon emissions.

An example of such an initiative is the Climate Pledge. If you want to find out more about what it is and how you can join, keep reading!

What is the Climate Pledge?

The Climate Pledge is a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040, which is ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement. The Climate Pledge was co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism in 2019. The two companies developed it with the thought of wanting to help their customers be more sustainable.

When introducing the initiative, the founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos said ‘We’re done being in the middle of the herd on this issue—we’ve decided to use our size and scale to make a difference.’ He also explained that if big companies accelerate their efforts to protect the environment and implement decarbonisation strategies, it will be possible to meet the Paris Agreement 10 years early.

Stopping climate change and making sure that global warming does not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 is extremely important. That is why companies around the world have to work together and contribute to this mission. The Climate Pledge brings businesses together helping them be more accountable for the way they consume energy and encouraging them to act on the climate emergency.

Have a look at the table below to find out what the key areas of action as defined by the Climate Pledge are.

Area of action	Description
Regular Reporting	Making businesses commit to regularly measuring and reporting their greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon Elimination	Encouraging companies to introduce decarbonisation strategies, driving innovation and change, implementing efficiency improvements, promoting renewable energy sources, and developing other strategies intended to reduce carbon emissions.
Credible Offsets	If any emissions remain, neutralising them with permanent offsets so that net-zero annual carbon emissions can be achieved by 2040.

Companies that sign the Pledge form partnerships with each other and work together to address and solve climate change and decarbonise the global economy. Currently, more than 100 companies representing 25 industries and 16 countries signed the Pledge.

What are the goals of the Climate Pledge?

There are a number of objectives that the companies that sign the Pledge aim to achieve. These include:

Frequently measuring their greenhouse gas emissions
Undertaking steps to be more sustainable
Implementing decarbonisation strategies in line with the commitments of the Paris Agreement
Engaging in carbon offsetting
Investing in environmental projects.

There are a number of solutions companies can introduce to make their activities greener. Amazon as the co-founder of the Pledge has been setting a good example for them by, for example, ordering 100,000 electric vehicles and using them to deliver packages to customers in 2021. By 2030, the company hopes to have all of them on the road. That would allow saving 4 million metric tons of carbon per year.

Amazon’s commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2030

In 2019, Amazon made a long-term commitment to power its global infrastructure using only renewable sources. Currently, the company is on the right track to power its operations with 100% renewable energy even sooner, by 2025. Some solutions Amazon has introduced so far to achieve that include:

launching 15 utility-scale wind and solar renewable energy projects that can generate more than 1,300MW of renewable capacity and deliver almost 4 million MWh of clean energy annually
installing more than 50 solar rooftops on fulfilment and sort centres around the world that can generate 98MW of renewable capacity and deliver around 130,000 MWh of green energy each year
launching the Right Now Climate Fund, allocating $100 million to restore and protect forests, wetlands, and peatlands around the world

What funds support the Climate Pledge?

Since 2019, several investments were made to support the goals of the Pledge. The two main ones are:

The Climate Pledge Fund – dedicated $2 billion to facilitate the development of technologies that help reduce carbon emissions and preserve the resources, thanks to the Fund millions of metric tons of carbon can be removed from the atmosphere and thousands of job opportunities can be created
Right Now Climate Fund – invested $100 million in reforestation projects and climate mitigation strategies.

Thanks to these funds companies have the finances to make a big difference in the world and help achieve the objectives of the Pledge.

Reporting on Amazon’s progress

To report on its commitments, initiatives and overall performance regarding meeting the goals of the Pledge, Amazon launched a sustainability website. There, companies can find information on what Amazon’s carbon footprint is and reports explaining what Amazon is doing to reach the Climate Pledge. Every time a new sustainability goal is developed, it is announced on the website.

From the website, businesses can also find out more about Amazon’s innovative programs. Have a look at the table below to see what the main ones are.

Sustainability Programme	Goal
Shipment Zero	Eventually making all Amazon’s shipments net-zero carbon and achieving 50% net-zero carbon by 2030
Frustration-Free Packaging	Reducing plastic waste by shipping products in easy-to-open packaging without additional shipping boxes
Ship in Own Container	Reducing plastic waste by abandoning extra packaging
Closed Loop Fund	Improving recycling for households by investing in infrastructure that facilitates access to recycling

How to join the Climate Pledge?

If you are a business owner and you want your company to become a signatory of the Pledge, follow these steps:

Review the principles of the initiative to make sure that your company can commit to achieving the goals of the Pledge
Commit to net zero carbon and start introducing solutions designed to help your company get to net zero by 2040
Talk to the founders of the Pledge to discuss the goals set by your company and get answers to any questions you might have
Submit a letter signed by the directors of your company to officially prove your commitment to fulfilling the Pledge
Enjoy being a signatory of the Pledge and keep making your business’s activities more sustainable.

There is no fee associated with joining the Climate Pledge.

Some of the major companies that joined the Pledge include:

To see the full list of companies that already became the signatories of the Pledge, click here.

Should my business join the Pledge?

There are many benefits associated with joining the Pledge. If you become a signatory, your company will get access to:

expert advice from major companies and NGO partners
the potential to make joint investments into various innovation and sustainability projects
a learning platform that will help you keep improving your operations.

Joining the Pledge is a great option for all businesses who want to reduce their carbon emissions but need some guidance on how to do it. Moreover, if you become a signatory, you will be able to work with many other companies who share your vision and also want to protect the Planet. By sharing resources and knowledge you can actually make a change.

Even if your company already has some climate or carbon reduction goals, you can participate in the initiative to further accelerate your efforts to protect the Planet.

111 companies have ‘accepted the greatest challenge of our lifetime and joined the Climate Pledge. Together they are turning words into action and targeting net zero carbon by 2040 or sooner, says the initiative’s Twitter.’ Maybe you will be the next one?

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Climate Pledge start?

The Climate Pledge was founded in 2019 by Amazon and Global Optimism. The initiative was introduced to show commitment to net zero carbon by 2040. Over the last few years, numerous major companies and organisations have joined the Pledge.

Who signed the Climate Pledge?

Initially, the Pledge was started by Amazon and Global Optimism. Nevertheless, since 2019 more than 100 companies have signed it, including major brands like HEINEKEN, Visa, or PepsiCo. Companies can join the Pledge voluntarily and it is up to them to introduce actions designed to achieve the goals of the initiative.

Is Amazon carbon neutral?

As for the year 2021, Amazon is Climate Neutral certified. That means that they take responsibility for their carbon emissions. Amazon invests in various projects designed to reduce its carbon emissions now and to prevent emissions in the future.