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Criticism of Amazon's environmental impact

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A protestor with a sign reading "The wrong Amazon is burning", referring to the Amazon rainforest wildfires and Amazon's negative impact on the environment

Amazon has been criticized for its negative impact on the environment. Critics have accused it of skirting environmental laws and of greenwashing.[1][2][3][4] Amazon is the founding member of The Climate Pledge,[5] a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 for Amazon and other signatories to the pledge. However, critics have claimed that the Climate Pledge amounts to little more than corporate PR due to the disconnect between the stated goals and the actions taken by the company.[6][7] A number of Amazon's environmental actions and commitments, including the Climate Pledge, has come after sustained activism by employees and outsiders.[8][9]

Amazon has been accused of illegal retaliation against employees engaging in climate activism.[10] On one occasion, the National Labor Relations Board found merit in an unfair labor practices suit.[11] Amazon settled with the plaintiffs out of court.[12]

The company's large scale, a heavy reliance on fossil fuels and plastic, and their anti-environmental lobbying practices[13][14] contribute to the criticism. The company has repeatedly failed to disclose their emissions data in the past and currently discloses a subset of emissions data in a format that isn't aligned with reporting standards.[15][16][17][18][19]

Lobbying against environmental protection laws

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Amazon has been criticized for their lobbying practices. Amazon has supported lobbying groups like the US Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, who have pushed back on environmental protection clauses in the democrat-led Build Back Better bill.[20]

Amazon has lobbied for increased subsidies for Green Hydrogen, by silently backing the trade group Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA).[21] Critics have raised numerous problems with Green Hydrogen, the primary one being that it requires a large amount of energy to produce and would merely move the emissions source from the vehicles themselves to the electrical grid.[22][23] Amazon's lobbying has taken place despite its own studies finding that 95% of the world's green hydrogen is generated primarily in grids based on fossil fuels.[21]

Amazon has a large number of data centers in Oregon[24] and has been criticized for overwhelming the supply of renewable energy in the state, requiring it to import dirty energy from outside the state.[25] In 2023, Amazon lobbied against environmental protection legislation (bill HB2816) in Oregon, which sought to ensure new data centers would run completely on renewable energy by 2040.[26] Critics say that the bill was unsuccessful primarily due to Amazon's sustained lobbying efforts.[27] Representative Pam Marsh, a co-sponsor of the bill, said "From the very first moment we started talking about this bill, Amazon started organizing against it."[26]

Amazon co-founded the Emissions First Partnership, which aims to lobby against strong Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) regulations. They advocate for being able to use RECs independent of geographical origin, which would allow them to claim that their facilities are being powered by green energy, when in fact they would have just bought space in a foreign grid, disconnected from that of the US.[28]

Fossil fuel emissions

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Amazon has consistently attained a rating of F by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).[29] Amazon has been pressured in the past by some of its employees, via shareholder resolutions, to disclose emissions, but has rejected all proposals.[30][29][31]

Amazon has been criticized for selective reporting of emissions, not aligned with reporting standards.[16][17] Amazon only reports on the emissions from private brand products, which make up an estimated 1% of its total sales.[17]

Destruction of unsold and returned products

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An investigation by ITV in 2021 found that Amazon was destroying 130,000 items of unsold stock a week at one of the company's fulfillment centers in Scotland.[32] The investigation uncovered a leaked document which had 124,000 items marked "destroy" and 28,000 items marked "donate". Amazon denied these claims.[33] Amazon has faced similar accusations in Germany and France, with the countries enacting new laws to make it more difficult for Amazon to continue such practices.[34]

Role in exporting plastic waste to be burnt in India

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An investigation by Bloomberg in December 2022 revealed that plastic waste intended for recycling in the US was ending up in India, where it was being burnt.[35] The investigation did not single out Amazon but noted that the most ubiquitous packaging in the garbage heaps was by Amazon. The report said that Amazon produced its packaging with soft plastic, which was the most difficult and least economically viable to recycle, while still displaying the recyclable logo on the products. Amazon declined to comment on the report.[35]

Sale of climate change denial books

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Amazon has sold climate change denial books that have been criticized as disinformation.[36]

Sale of illegal pesticides

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Amazon has been prosecuted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their role, between 2013 and 2016, in importing, warehousing, packaging, shipping, and profiting from pesticides and insecticides that are illegal in the US.[37] In 2018, Amazon entered a settlement with the EPA and agreed to pay $1.2 million in penalties.[38]

PFAS in packaging

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Amazon faced a class-action lawsuit in 2020 over their use of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), colloquially known as "forever chemicals", in its Amazon Kitchen brand product, including disposable plates and bowls. The lawsuit claimed that Amazon marked the products as compostable when PFAS are not considered compostable.[39][40] The lawsuit was dropped and Amazon made a policy update to not use PFAS in their Amazon Kitchen branded products.

Delivery fleet

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Amazon has been criticized for an over-reliance on fossil-fuel powered vehicles in its delivery fleet.[41][42]

References

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  1. ^ Domínguez, Dani (2024-04-23). "Amazon Greenwashing: How The U.S. Retail Giant Covers Its Carbon Footprint In Spain". worldcrunch.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  2. ^ Boylan, Lynn; Dufour, Alma (2023-11-24). "Amazon's Climate Pledge Was a Lie". Jacobin. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  3. ^ Coen, Susie (2023-01-01). "Amazon's 'eco-friendly' packages wrapped in plastic and made 5,000 miles away". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  4. ^ Rannard, Georgina (2022-02-07). "Climate change: Top companies exaggerating their progress - study". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-02-07. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  5. ^ "Be the planet's turning point". www.theclimatepledge.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  6. ^ Trattner, Sydney; Taddonio, Patrice (2020-02-18). "Bezos' $10 Billion Climate Pledge Makes No Mention of Amazon's Climate Impact". FRONTLINE. PBS. Archived from the original on 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  7. ^ Stackl, Valenti (2020-06-16). "Amazon's Corporate Climate Pledge: Too Slow and Not Enough - Greenpeace USA". Greenpeace. Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  8. ^ Glaser, April (2019-09-20). "How to Make Tech Companies Actually Fight Climate Change". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  9. ^ Swanson, Conrad (2024-06-18). "Amazon cancels plans to tap natural gas pipeline for data center". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2024-06-18. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  10. ^ "Amazon 'illegally retaliated' against climate activists". BBC News. 2021-04-05. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  11. ^ Palmer, Annie (2021-04-05). "Labor board finds Amazon illegally fired activist workers". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2021-04-05. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  12. ^ Long, Katherine Anne (2021-09-29). "Amazon settles with two Seattle workers who say they were wrongfully fired for their advocacy". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2024-04-14. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  13. ^ O'Donovan, Caroline (2023-04-04). "Amazon, despite climate pledge, fought to kill emissions bill in Oregon". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  14. ^ Holt, Kris (2021-10-01). "Apple, Amazon and others back groups trying to kill US climate legislation". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2022-11-20. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  15. ^ González, Ángel (2016-11-01). "Amazon gets an 'F' from the Carbon Disclosure Project". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  16. ^ a b Nauman, Billy (2019-06-16). "Amazon accused of lack of transparency on climate impact". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-03-23. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  17. ^ a b c Evans, Will (2022-02-25). "Private Report Shows How Amazon Drastically Undercounts Its Carbon Footprint". Reveal. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  18. ^ Calma, Justine (2022-08-01). "Amazon's climate pollution is getting way worse". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  19. ^ Caraway, Brett (2020). Oakley, Kate; Banks, Mark (eds.). Interrogating Amazon's Sustainability Innovation. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 65–78. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-49384-4_6. ISBN 978-3-030-49384-4. Retrieved 2024-07-26. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  20. ^ Milman, Oliver (2021-10-01). "Apple and Disney among companies backing groups against US climate bill". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  21. ^ a b Dayen, David (2023-08-11). "Amazon's Quiet Role in the Green Hydrogen Debate". The American Prospect. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  22. ^ Ross, Kit Million (2024-01-31). "The greenwashing trap: how green hydrogen can keep its promises". Power Technology. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  23. ^ Doig, Alison (2023-11-20). "Why the World Bank should be cautious on green hydrogen". Energy Monitor. Archived from the original on 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  24. ^ Rogoway, Mike (2022-05-05). "Amazon seeks tax breaks for 5 new data centers, worth $12B, in remote Oregon county". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  25. ^ Rogoway, Mike (2024-02-17). "How one of Oregon's smallest utilities became one of the state's biggest polluters". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 2024-06-01. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  26. ^ a b Palmer, Annie (2023-04-06). "Why Amazon quashed an Oregon bill that aimed to curb data center emissions". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  27. ^ Rogoway, Mike (2022-05-05). "Amazon, despite climate pledge, fought to kill emissions bill in Oregon". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  28. ^ Bryan, Kenza; Hodgson, Camilla; Tauschinski, Jana (2024-08-14). "Big Tech's bid to rewrite the rules on net zero". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  29. ^ a b Higgins-Dunn, Noah (2019-03-08). "Jeff Bezos is finally ending secrecy over Amazon's role in carbon emissions". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2019-03-09. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  30. ^ Romano, Benjamin (2018-12-17). "Amazon feels heat from employees on climate change and disclosing its efforts". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  31. ^ Rosenblatt, Lauren (2023-05-24). "Amazon investors reject proposals on worker safety, climate impact". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2023-05-24. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  32. ^ Pallot, Richard (2021-06-22). "Amazon destroying millions of items of unsold stock in one of its UK warehouses every year, ITV News investigation finds". ITV. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  33. ^ Harrison, Jody (2021-06-21). "Amazon branded 'obscene' over claims thousands of useable items marked for landfill". The Herald. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  34. ^ Webster, Ben (2024-07-26). "Amazon destroys lorry-loads of unsold TVs and computers". The Times. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  35. ^ a b Ha, K Oanh (2022-12-27). "Amazon Packages Burn in India, Last Stop in Broken Recycling System". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2024-04-08. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  36. ^ Contreras, Brian (2021-07-26). "As Jeff Bezos stresses climate change, Amazon promotes books saying it's fake". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  37. ^ Campbell, Lisa M. (2018-02-16). "EPA Settles with Amazon on Distribution of Unregistered Pesticides". Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  38. ^ "Amazon to pay $1.2 million in settlement over pesticide sales". Reuters. 2018-02-15. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  39. ^ Earls, Maya (2020-06-19). "Amazon Facing Class Action Alleging PFAS in Disposable Plates". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  40. ^ Bandoim, Lana (February 9, 2021). "Amazon Bans Toxic Chemicals From Its Food Packaging". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  41. ^ Zhou, Amanda (2024-07-16). "Climate protesters paint Prime Day message to Amazon on Seattle street". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  42. ^ Rosane, Olivia (2021-11-30). "Why Do Walmart, Amazon, Target and IKEA Have Such High Shipping Emissions?". EcoWatch. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
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