Asos, Holt Renfrew, Selfridges and More Sign Amazon’s Climate Pledge to Be Net Zero by 2040
More companies have signed onto Amazon’s Climate Pledge in an effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.
On Monday, 86 new companies signed the pledge, including online retailer Asos, Canadian luxury department store chain Holt Renfrew and U.K. department store chain Selfridges. When Amazon introduced its Climate Pledge in 2019, it made a commitment to be net zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of the goal for the Paris Agreement. Now, more than 200 global companies have joined the pledge, representing more than 7 million employees across 26 industries in 21 countries.
“I believe that now, more than ever, companies like Amazon have an obligation to lead the fight for our planet,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. “But, solving this challenge cannot be accomplished by one company; it requires all of us to act together, and it’s one of the reasons we’re so excited to announce that more than 200 businesses have joined us in signing The Climate Pledge — a commitment to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement 10 years early.”
Amazon has also certified more than 75,000 eligible products with its Climate Pledge Friendly certification and launched a $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund to invest in carbon-reducing measures.
The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary to limit global warming effectively. From a baseline of 2020, signatories of the Climate Pledge will collectively mitigate 1.98 billion metric tons (BMT) of carbon emissions, or 5.4% of current global annual emissions.
“Climate change is the defining challenge of our time,” said Asos CEO Nick Beighton. “Businesses must take bold and decisive action to find solutions to the unfolding crisis, both individually and collectively, which is why Asos is proud to stand with Amazon, Global Optimism and the other signatories of The Climate Pledge, and to be joining the UNFCCC’s Race to Zero campaign as a result. Doing so reinforces our commitment to sustainability and means we’re joining a community that will share knowledge, ideas and best practice to achieve this important mission.”
Other companies in the footwear and fashion industry have made similar commitments to be net zero in a certain time frame. Running brand Brooks said in June that it plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. In July, Crocs laid out a similar goal to become a net-zero company by 2030. And many athletic brands, including Nike and Adidas, have set a target date of 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement timeline.
