Amazon Removed From SBTi List Due to Insufficient Concrete CO2 Reduction Targets

Tech group Amazon has lost support from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This assesses and monitors companies’ CO2 reduction targets and is supported by the United Nations. Amazon has not set enough concrete targets for reducing its carbon emissions.

The SBTi helps companies make plans to comply with the Paris climate agreement, guided by the latest scientific knowledge about climate change. One of those goals is to limit global warming to a maximum of one and a half degrees.

An Amazon spokeswoman said the company plans to “continue working together to chart a path.” Amazon already said in 2019 that it wanted to reduce its CO2 emissions to zero by 2040. For example, the company is working on electrifying its fleet. But a detailed roadmap for reducing CO2 in other ways is not yet available.

Moreover, emissions have only increased in recent years. Earlier this year, Amazon also withdrew a sustainability target to deliver half of all packages carbon-free by 2030. According to Amazon, this was replaced by a goal that strives for company-wide zero emissions.

The SBTi has withdrawn support from about 120 companies, of which Amazon had the most significant market value. More than 3,200 companies, including Microsoft and Apple, now have SBTi-approved reduction targets.