Amazon Responds to Increased Shareholder Pressure, Commits to Cut Delivery Emissions 50% by 2030

March 7, 2019 As You Sow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Stefanie Spear, sspear@asyousow.org, 216-387-1609

Oakland, CA—March 6, 2019—Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) recently announced its new emission reduction initiative, “Shipment Zero,” setting a goal to reduce the climate impact of its shipping and achieve net zero emissions for half its shipments by 2030, prompting the withdrawal of a related shareholder proposal. As You Sow, representing Amalgamated Bank, co-filed the resolution along with lead filer Green Century Capital Management and co-filers Trinity Health and the Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic of Grand Rapids.

The announcement marks significant progress by the company. Amazon has long been considered a slow-mover in addressing its monumental climate impact. This year, the company faced several shareholder proposals asking for common-sense environmental, social, and governance disclosures including a proposal from a shareholder group comprised of Amazon employees.

Amazon’s new shipping target was accompanied by a comm i tment to publicly “share Amazon’s company-wide carbon footprint, along with related goals and programs” by the end of 2019. Shareholders have long requested that Amazon disclose its greenhouse gas emissions and set targets to address them.

Lila Holzman, energy program manager of As You Sow, had this to say about Amazon’s announcement:

“We are glad Amazon is responding to shareholder concerns related to climate risk, and we view this new target as a meaningful step in the right direction. Given the massive scale of Amazon’s climate impact, however, the company must initiate comprehensive plans to reduce emissions in alignment with the global goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid climate catastrophe.”

For more information on As You Sow’s work on climate change, click here.

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As You Sow is a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies. Click here to see As You Sow’s shareholder resolution tracker.