Partnerships

Amazon is a founding member of the Advanced Energy Buyers Group (AEBG), a coalition of leading advanced energy purchasers engaging on policies to unlock opportunities for customers to access affordable, reliable, clean and innovative energy options.

To promote education, analysis and policy advocacy for clean energy, Amazon joined Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a non-profit association of clean energy businesses committed to promoting clean and affordable energy technologies. AEE publishes reports, brings together stakeholders and advocates for advanced energy policies with state and federal policymakers on issues related to electric vehicles, renewable energy, energy efficiency and the smart grid.

In 2020, Amazon began working with the Amader Kotha Helpline, which provides workers with a mechanism to report and resolve safety and other concerns in the ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh. The Helpline was initially established as a project of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety following the Rana Plaza tragedy. In 2018, the Helpline became an independent initiative available to all garment workers with the support of factories and brands.

Amazon joined the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), a national non-profit organisation that unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. ACORE convenes thought leadership forums and creates energy industry partnerships to communicate the economic, security and environmental benefits of renewable energy.

In 2018, Amazon became of a member of Amfori, a leading global business association for open and sustainable trade. Amfori brings together over 2500 retailers, importers, brands and associations from over 40 countries to drive social performance and improvements across global supply chains.

In 2019, Amazon began partnering with the Better Buying Initiative as part of their commitment to reimagining supply chain sustainability and leveraging data to strengthen supplier-buyer partnerships by improving purchasing practices. Better Buying’s cloud-based platform enables suppliers to anonymously rate the purchasing practices of their buyers, providing data-driven insights which can be used by retailers, brands and suppliers to continuously improve purchasing practices, and achieve mutually beneficial sustainability outcomes.

To support the transition of sourcing more sustainable cotton for Amazon-owned Private Brand clothing products, Amazon joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in 2019, a global non-profit organisation and the largest cotton sustainability programme in the world. BCI exists to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in, and better for the sector’s future. In 2021, we also joined BCI’s Retailer and Brand Advisory Panel on Traceability.

Amazon is a member of the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), an organisation of sustainable business experts that works with its global network of leading companies to build a just and sustainable world. Amazon participates in BSR initiatives such as Future of Fuels (a collaboration with a mission to build demand and promote adoption of clean energy technology for trucking), Clean Cargo Working Group (an initiative to reduce the environmental impacts of global goods transportation) and Tech Against Trafficking (a coalition of technology companies collaborating with global experts to help eradicate human trafficking using technology).

In 2019, Amazon began partnering with BSR’s HERproject, an initiative that brings together global brands, their suppliers and local partners to create and implement workplace-based interventions on health, financial inclusion and gender equality. Through our partnership with HERproject, we engage suppliers in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and India. As of December 2021, we have reached nearly 12,000 women with HERproject programming, including training on health and financial skills, and building the capacity of workers and factory management to combat gender-based discrimination in the workplace.

Amazon has committed to sponsor the Carbon Leadership Forum, an industry-academic collaboration hosted at the University of Washington and focused on reducing the embodied carbon of building design. Amazon participates in this group to shape building industry standards for embodied carbon and calculation tools for the building industry.

Amazon joined the Business Environmental Leadership Council at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) to work towards practical solutions to the world’s climate and energy challenges. C2ES is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organisation working to advance strong policy and action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy and strengthen resilience to climate impacts. In 2020, Amazon signed a statement from the C2ES calling on the Biden Administration and new Congress to seek ambitious, durable climate solutions.

In 2020, Amazon partnered with Ceres and other fleet operators to launch the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance, bringing together companies that work to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. This alliance helps aggregate corporate demand for transportation electrification, while also providing a platform to coordinate support for policies that enable fleet electrification. In 2021, members of the alliance published a comprehensive report on ways that utilities, regulators and policymakers can enable fleet operators to electrify commercial transportation and reduce carbon emissions.

In the U.K., Amazon partners with City Harvest London to put surplus food to use in a sustainable way. City Harvest collects nutritious surplus food from supermarkets, restaurants, manufacturers and other food business, and distributes it to community programmes that serve meals to vulnerable people. Together, City Harvest and Amazon have distributed more than two million meals to the community.

Amazon invested 10 million USD in the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund to finance recycling and circular economy infrastructure in North America. Through this investment, Amazon aims to increase product and packaging recycling, ensuring that material gets back into the manufacturing supply chain. Over the next decade, our investment in the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund will improve kerbside recycling for three million homes in communities across the U.S., diverting one million tons of recyclable material from landfills and eliminating the equivalent of two million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Amazon joined the Corporate Eco Forum (CEF), an invitation-only membership group for large companies that demonstrate a serious commitment to sustainability as a business strategy issue. CEF’s mission is to help accelerate sustainable business innovation by creating a neutral space for senior business leaders to strategise and exchange best-practice insights.

Amazon joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network in 2020 as part of our ongoing commitment to reduce waste and share success stories across industries. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. The Foundation works with, and inspires, business, academia, policymakers and institutions to mobilise systems solutions at scale, globally.

AWS joined the U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA) in 2020 to advocate on energy storage issues in the U.S. at federal and state levels. The ESA is the national trade association dedicated to energy storage, working towards a more resilient, efficient, sustainable and affordable electricity grid – as is uniquely enabled by energy storage.

Amazon partners with Feeding America to direct our surplus inventory to communities in need. Feeding America is a U.S. network of food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other community-based agencies that works alongside Amazon’s vast network to strategically partner non-profit members and Amazon facilities to maximise the impact of these donations.

Global Optimism works to inspire individuals and build transformative partnerships that tackle the climate crisis with the conviction, scale and speed that science demands. In 2019, Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge, a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040—10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.

Good360 partners with socially responsible companies to source highly needed goods and distribute them via their network of diverse non-profits that support people in need. Amazon is one of the biggest suppliers of donations to Good360, helping to provide items to low-income households, foster families, individuals with special needs or disabilities, seniors, veterans, immigrants and more.

Amazon is a long-term partner of In Kind Direct, a charity working across the UK, France and Germany to broker product giving among the members of its network. Through this partnership, we have donated more than 200,000 products, including toys, shoes, clothing and household items, to 1800 charities.

Amazon is a long-term partner of Innatura, a non-profit which receives products from manufacturers and retailers in Germany and distributes them for social good. Through this partnership, Amazon has donated to more than 1500 charities benefiting nearly 500,000 individuals and families in Germany with donations including toys, shoes, clothing and pharmacy items, among others.

The International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) is a non-profit, member-driven association that empowers organisations and their people to minimise product damage throughout distribution and optimise resource usage via effective package design. Amazon partnered with ISTA to craft the standards behind our Frustration-Free Packaging programmes.

Amazon joined the Leather Working Group to support the transition to more sustainable leather in Amazon-owned Private Brand clothing products. The Leather Working Group seeks to improve the leather manufacturing industry by creating alignment on environmental priorities, bringing visibility to best practices, and providing suggested guidelines for continual improvement.

In 2020, Amazon partnered with Nest, a non-profit supporting the growth and development of the artisan sector to build a world of greater gender equity and economic inclusion. Via programmes that improve worker well-being for those working outside the four-walled factory, Nest is bringing radical transparency and opportunity to the informal handworker economy globally. Amazon is proud to serve on Nest’s Steering Committee.

Amazon joined the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA) in 2020. The PPA is a multi-sector initiative among leaders in civil society, government and industry to support projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the surrounding Great Lakes Region of Central Africa that improve the due diligence and governance systems needed for ethical supply chains. In 2021, Amazon will provide additional funding towards these efforts and participate in work groups devoted to enhancing local data collection.

To advocate for issues related to clean energy purchasing, Amazon is a member of the RE-Source Platform. RE-Source is a European alliance of stakeholders representing clean energy buyers and suppliers for corporate renewable energy sourcing. It is the first and only multi-stakeholder platform in Europe bringing together the interests of both buyers and sellers in order to unlock the potential of new business models, accelerate the transition to affordable renewable energy sources and help combat climate change. Amazon is a member of the Steering Committee and chairs the Policy Committee.

To support a resilient clean energy system, Amazon joined the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA). REBA is an alliance of large clean energy buyers, energy providers and service providers that, together with NGO partners, is unlocking the marketplace for all non-residential energy buyers to lead a rapid transition to a cleaner, prosperous, zero carbon energy future. In January 2021, Amazon signed a statement from the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance to the incoming Biden Administration calling for a customer-centric transition to 100 % clean energy as soon as feasible, increased access to renewable energy, and increased federal research and development funding for clean tech.

Amazon is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), a non-profit coalition of companies committed to supporting the rights and well-being of workers and communities worldwide affected by global supply chains.

Amazon is a member of the Responsible Labor Initiative (RLI), a multi-industry, multi-stakeholder initiative focused on ensuring that the rights of workers vulnerable to forced labour in global supply chains are consistently respected and promoted. The RLI is run by the Responsible Business Alliance and focuses on ensuring that the rights of workers vulnerable to forced labour in global supply chains are consistently respected and promoted.

In 2015, Amazon joined the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), an initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance. Founded in 2008, the RMI has grown into one of the most utilised and respected resources for companies from a range of industries addressing responsible mineral sourcing issues in their supply chains. Amazon participates in RMI working groups devoted to cobalt, mica and smelter engagement. We believe that our participation in these working groups is integral to enhancing minerals due diligence and promoting the certification of smelters in our supply chain.

Amazon works with the International Labour Organization’s Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) programme. In 2020, we expanded our work with the SCORE programme, a lean manufacturing programme focused on improving productivity and working conditions in small- and medium-sized manufacturers. As of June 2021, via SCORE, we have provided training on workplace health and safety to 4398 workers in our supply chain.

Amazon joined SolarPower Europe (SPE) to help advance solar energy development across Europe. SPE works to ensure that solar-based energy solutions have access to financing and funding across Europe, positioning these solutions with policymakers at the European and national levels, effectively communicating the benefits of solar power and more.

Amazon partners with StolenYouth, a Seattle-based organisation with the mission to end child sex trafficking in the state of Washington via prevention, connecting trafficked youth to resources and services, and empowering survivors along their path to recovery and a promising future. We support StolenYouth by providing both financial support and goods donations.

Amazon is a member of Sedex, a global membership organisation that empowers companies to implement responsible business practices and policies in their business and supply chain to build responsible supply chains. Sedex provides businesses with the tools, technology and insights needed to operate ethically, source responsibly and work with their suppliers to create fair working conditions for the people who make their products and services.

Amazon joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an industry-wide group of more than 250 leading clothing and footwear brands, retailers, manufacturers, non-governmental organisations, academic experts and government organisations working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of clothing products around the world. We encourage our Amazon-branded suppliers to evaluate their practices using the Coalition’s Higg Index, a tool to help manufacturers measure the social and environmental performance of their facilities.

Amazon joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), an industry working group dedicated to a more robust environmental vision for packaging. SPC uses strong member support, an informed and science-based approach, supply chain collaborations and continuous outreach to build packaging systems that encourage economic prosperity and a sustainable flow of materials.

Tech Against Trafficking is a coalition of companies collaborating with global experts to help eradicate human trafficking using technology.

Amazon joined Textile Exchange to support our commitment to sustainable clothing. Textile Exchange a global non-profit that works with its members to drive industry transformation in preferred fibres, including recycled materials. Textile Exchange identifies and shares best practices on farming, materials, processing, traceability and product end-of-life in order to reduce the textile industry’s impact on the world’s water, soil and air, and the human population.

Through the Right Now Climate Fund, Amazon is collaborating with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to research, identify, design and implement natural climate solutions around the world to mitigate climate change. TNC is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Working in 79 countries and territories, TNC engages diverse partners to create science-based, innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together.

To improve kerbside recycling in the U.S., Amazon partners with The Recycling Partnership, which supports communities and local governments with education, infrastructure and measurement related to kerbside recycling. The Recycling Partnership supports communities and local governments with education, infrastructure and measurement related to kerbside recycling.

Third Way’s Climate and Energy Program designs and advocates for policies that will drive innovation and deployment of clean energy technologies and place the United States on the fastest, fairest path to net-zero emissions by mid-century. Amazon is partnering with Third Way to advance federal climate and clean energy policy solutions.

Amazon is an official corporate sponsor of Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), an organisation dedicated to combating human trafficking in the trucking industry, and began incorporating TAT training modules into trainings for our internal fleet of drivers to teach them how to identify and respond to potential victims of human trafficking. As of January 2021, we have trained 100 % of Amazon employees who drive trucks.

Amazon joined the U.S. Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance (U.S. PREF), a programme of ACORE, to support our work with state and federal policymakers and other stakeholders to enable more renewable energy opportunities for cloud providers. U.S. PREF is an educational programme that provides expert input on how the renewable energy finance market works.

The Climate Pledge and Global Optimism are partnering with the We Mean Business coalition and several other organisations in the largest effort to date to mobilise the private sector to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.
This partnership will demonstrate that corporate leaders can go further and faster on climate action. The Climate Pledge and We Mean Business coalition also provide resources and support to TED Countdown, Race to Zero and the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), urging companies to respond to the climate crisis by setting specific, measurable targets.