Amazon’s Climate Pledge: What You Should Know

Back in September of 2019, Amazon and Global Optimism co-founded The Climate Pledge, a program committed to meeting the Paris Agreement 10 years early. The program’s goals are ambitious: reaching net zero carbon by 2040 and 100% renewable energy by 2030. As of February 17, 53 companies have signed onto the pledge, one of which is Netrush partner brand MiiR.

MiiR — a premium, stainless steel bottle brand whose name translates to peace — was founded in 2010 with the idea of community at its core. Since its founding, MiiR has partnered with nonprofits to fund projects focused on clean water, healthy environment, and strong communities. When Amazon approached the brand about signing on to The Climate Pledge, it was an obvious fit.

“We were founded on the idea of empowering people for a better future,” said Mandy Lozano, MiiR’s Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer. “So obviously, our future is going to be lived on this planet, so it was natural that we would care a lot about sustainability from the get go.” 

Getting involved in The Climate Pledge

Signing up for The Climate Pledge is a great step for brands that want to publicly demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. However, putting in the work to meet the pledge’s standards is no joke.

Brands that sign The Climate Pledge agree to:

• Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.

• Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.

• Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially-beneficial offsets to achieve net zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.

Benefits of signing The Climate Pledge

The obvious benefit of signing The Climate Pledge is being part of a movement that’s taking responsibility for retail’s impact on the environment. The commitment outlined in The Climate Pledge is ambitious, and if followed, will ideally result in a positive change that could be felt worldwide.

Aside from inherent benefits, sustainability matters to consumers. A 2020 study by IBM and NRF estimated that 57% of consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits to help reduce negative environmental impact. Consumers are voting with their dollars, and signing up with programs like The Climate Pledge is a great way for brands to signal that they’re on the same ethical page. 

Certification is a great place to start

MiiR’s sustainability efforts started well before joining The Climate Pledge. The brand’s stainless steel reusable drinkware are innately intended to limit the demand for plastics and reduce single-use trash. But in 2020, MiiR took a more formal step by becoming Climate Neutral certified.

“Certifications are important and reassure people who buy products that the companies that make those products are behaving in an ethical and transparent manner,” said Lozano, who cited MiiR's B-Corporation and 1% For The Planet certifications along with their Climate Neutral efforts.

Climate Neutral is one of many organizations that brands can go through to receive sustainability certifications. Climate Neutral isn’t directly affiliated with The Climate Pledge, but that’s not an obstacle. Amazon does have a list of affiliated certifying organizations — if that’s something brands are specifically seeking. However, regardless of affiliations, going through a certification process is a great way for brands and businesses to start analyzing their environmental impact.

Typically, certification processes will walk brands through three steps:

Measurement - Measurement is the first step in sustainability and helps businesses get an ideaof their current carbon emissions and environmental footprint.

Offsetting - Offsetting gives businesses an immediate opportunity to have an impact by investing in projects dedicated to removing carbon from the atmosphere — or improving the environment in general.

Reduction - Reduction is the last, and often most difficult, step. Once a business has measured its environmental impact, reduction is the process of taking action and reducing environmental impact.

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For more information on joining The Climate Pledge, visit The Climate Pledge Website.

For more information about MiiR, visit their website or Amazon Brand Store.

For more information on certifications that are also “Climate Pledge friendly,” visit Amazon’s certification resource page.