Amazon is on a mission to be the most customer-centric company on earth, and one way they are doing this is by working to fight climate change. The Amazon Aware program is an initiative from Amazon’s Climate Pledge. It allows customers to easily find and shop for products that have a lower environmental impact. In other words, you have a choice to do sustainable shopping right from your home with few clicks.

What is The Climate Pledge?

Climate Pledge is a call to businesses to achieve net-zero carbon across the business lines by 2040 – ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2050. It was founded in 2019 by Amazon and Global Optimism. So far, 319 businesses have become signatories. Few of these include Microsoft, Maersk, Tech Mahindra, Philips, Mercedes-Benz, IBM, Ørsted, etc. The businesses who have signed the pledge agree to:

  • Measure and report their GHG emissions regularly
  • Implement strategies to eliminate carbon emissions across the business lines. These strategies can be sustainable transportation, sustainable material sourcing, higher energy efficiency, etc.
  • Offset and neutralize any remaining emissions by carbon credits from socially and environmentally justifiable methods

What is Amazon Aware?

The Amazon Aware program is part of Amazon’s wider sustainability efforts. It includes a range of products across categories such as beauty, apparel, household essentials, etc. It is currently available in the US, UK, and several European countries.

The program is simple – products that are certified Climate Pledge Friendly meet Amazon’s standards for reducing their climate impact. To receive certification, products must minimize their impact in the following key areas:

  • Energy: Products must use less energy or be more energy efficient.
  • Materials: Products must use more sustainable materials or be more durable.
  • Water: Products must use less water or be more water efficient.
  • Waste: Products must generate the least waste

How to look for Climate Pledge-Friendly products?

Climate Pledge Friendly products are marked with a special badge, so customers can easily identify them while shopping. Additionally, to help customers learn more about the products, they’ve also created a dedicated landing page with information on the program and featured Climate Pledge-Friendly products.

Do you sell on Amazon? Your products can qualify for Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly too!

The Amazon Aware program is voluntary, and it is open to any brand or manufacturer that sells products on Amazon. To be eligible for the program, products must be either:

  • Certified by one of Amazon’s third-party certifications, or
  • Certified by Amazon’s Compact by Design certification

To get these certificates, products must meet certain criteria. For example, they must have a lower carbon footprint than similar products, be made with recycled or renewable materials, or be certified by an independent organization such as The Forest Stewardship Council, ClimatePartner, etc. Ideally, products must meet certain standards in the following key areas:

  • Materials: Products must be made with sustainable materials, such as recycled materials or certified wood.
  • Water and Energy: Products must be manufactured using water and energy-efficient technologies
  • Packaging: Products must have packaging that is easy to recycle or compost.

Products that meet the criteria are then labelled as “Climate Pledge Friendly”. This allows customers to easily identify products that are better for the environment.  In addition to being verified as Climate Pledge Friendly, products must also meet Amazon’s high standards for quality and customer satisfaction.

The Amazon Aware program is just one way Amazon is working to fight climate change. The company has also committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and is investing $2 billion in clean energy projects. So far, several brands have partnered with Amazon and have been verified as Climate Pledge Friendly, and the program is growing every day. So next time you’re shopping on Amazon, be sure to look for the Climate Pledge Friendly badge to find products that are good for you and good for the planet.

Individual Efforts matter – Chose to shop sustainably

When it comes to shopping, sustainability is often an afterthought. We might try to buy organic produce or Fair Trade coffee, but all too often the majority of our purchases are based on price and convenience. However, with a bit of effort, it is possible to make more sustainable shopping decisions without breaking the bank. The products we purchase and the way we purchase them can have a significant impact on the environment. Here are a few things to keep in mind the next time you hit the stores:

  • Choose products with less packaging.
  • Avoid products made with harmful chemicals and materials.
  • Opt for products that are durable and long-lasting.
  • Buy local as much as possible and support businesses that practice sustainability.
  • Be an informed consumer and research the companies you support.

The two main environmental impacts to consider while shopping are the amount of resources used in the product’s lifecycle and the pollution created during its manufacture and disposal.

  • Lifecycle
    The lifecycle of a product begins with the extraction of raw materials, continues through the manufacturing process, and ends when the product is disposed of. The amount of resources used and pollution created at each stage varies depending on the product.
    For example, the growing and harvesting of cotton use large amounts of water and pesticides, while the manufacturing of synthetic fabrics such as polyester creates air and water pollution. On the other hand, sustainably produced cotton uses less water and fewer pesticides than conventional cotton, and wool is a natural, renewable fiber that biodegrades.
  • Disposal
    When it comes to disposal, the best option is to choose products that can be reused or recycled. Many synthetic fabrics can be recycled into new products, while natural fibers such as cotton and wool can be composted.

Every purchase we make is a vote for the kind of world we want to live in. When we make sustainable shopping decisions, we are voting for a cleaner, healthier planet.