Amazon has launched a carbon credit program, allowing its suppliers, business customers, and other companies to purchase credits to offset their carbon emissions. The move comes amid ongoing debates over the role of carbon credits in corporate decarbonization efforts and concerns about ensuring their environmental integrity.
The retail giant emphasized that it follows industry-leading standards where available and is actively involved in shaping more rigorous verification processes when needed. Amazon has previously invested in projects related to forest conservation, land restoration, and carbon removal, but this marks its first direct venture into selling carbon credits.
Kara Hurst, Amazon’s chief sustainability officer, highlighted the company’s ability to use its scale and high vetting standards to drive further investments in nature-based solutions. Early participants in the initiative include Flickr, real estate advisory firm Seneca, and electronics company Corsair.
The Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a key authority on corporate climate goals, recently stated that carbon credits should be limited to offsetting residual emissions—those that remain after a company has made substantial reductions. However, SBTi stopped short of endorsing broader reliance on carbon credits to meet decarbonization targets.
Amazon’s program requires participating companies to have a net-zero target that includes emissions from their supply chains and to publicly report their greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative comes after the Bezos Earth Fund, founded by Jeff Bezos, discontinued its $18 million grant to SBTi in late 2023.
