Launched by online retailer Amazon and environmental group Global Optimism in late 2019, the Climate Pledge is a public commitment to slash carbon emissions by 2040 and achieve the Net Zero target, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement goal of 2050. Companies such as Atos, Brooks Canary Wharf Group, Coca-Cola, European partners ERM, Groupe Seb, France Harbour Air, ITV, Microsoft, Neste, Rubicon, and Unilever extend the list of supporters. These companies commit to regular, transparent, and accurate reporting of greenhouse gas emissions data as the basis for an environmental framework to measure progress. More than 100 multinationals have signed the Climate Pledge.
The Climate Pledge
The Climate Pledge offers companies worldwide the chance to unite to take urgent action against the climate crisis. Signatories will focus their decarbonization efforts on removing them from their operations, including the energy, transport, and packaging they use. Implement the decarbonization strategies in line with Paris Agreement through real economic change and innovation, including efficiencies, renewable energy, material reductions, and other strategies to eliminate carbon emissions. Neutralize remaining emissions through additional quantifiable, real, durable, and beneficial offsets to achieve annual net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Serving The Nature
The undertaking is not legally binding, but it provides for penalties for violations. There is no government oversight of whether a carbon-neutral US company can do what a company claims to want to do. By signing the pledge, the Amazon cohort committed to becoming “net-zero carbon,” promising to measure, reduce, and offset carbon emissions.
The Bottom Line
Scientific assessments show that we need to halve our emissions between 2020 and 2030 to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Through the Climate Pledge’s flagship initiative, Amazon has said it will pursue aggressive climate goals without government action. Mercedes-Benz has also joined the pledge and is supporting it with its own Ambition2039 initiative.
