In a move that’s expected to make its business practices more climate-friendly, e-commerce giant Amazon announced that it will order 100,000 fully electric vans from Rivian, an electric car startup.
The electric delivery vans are to be delivered starting in 2021, with 10,000 of them in service as early as 2022 and all 100,000 on the road by 2030. According to Amazon, the vehicles will save 4 million metric tons of carbon per year by 2030.
The order is part of an accelerated commitment toward fighting climate change announced last week by the company. Under the new plan, called The Climate Pledge, the company will focus on embracing Paris Agreement decarbonization strategies, measuring and reporting emissions on a regular basis, and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
What’s more, Amazon now plans to reach 80 percent renewable energy by 2024 and 100 percent by 2030. It’s also launching a $100 million climate fund with The Nature Conservancy, to help with reforestation efforts.
While not ideal, Amazon’s efforts to meet its climate commitment should encourage other companies to do so and shows that, while the government may turn a blind eye toward the urgency of the problem, the business sector knows better.
