Amazon says it continues to be committed to reaching net zero across its global operations by 2040 despite seeing an increase in its emissions last year.

After two years of cutting its absolute carbon emissions “we saw a 6% increase in 2024” according to its latest sustainability report.

It says that through its Climate Pledge, which was launched six years ago, its goal continues to be to reach net zero by 2040 and “inspiring and inviting others to take action”.

The retailer added: “We recognize that progress will not always be linear, but we remain focused on serving our customers better, faster, and with fewer emissions.

“We will remain focused on investing in long-term solutions, optimizing for network efficiencies, helping our supply chain decarbonize, and innovating with our partners in the hard-to-abate parts of our business.”

Its Sustainability Report for 2024 shows that it is still the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, for the fifth consecutive year, according to BloombergNEF.

Also last year it delivered 1.5m packages by electric vehicle and nine out of ten of its highest emitting suppliers have decarbonisation plans in place.

In addition, it achieved a 16.4% cut in single-use plastic in its packaging and it donated or delivered 95m meals to households in need.

It added: “Our strategy is aligned with climate science and embeds decarbonization initiatives and efficiency improvements across our business and supply chain.

“Teams across Amazon are accountable for setting decarbonization plans that map back to Amazon’s worldwide strategy, as ownership and accountability are essential to operational success and managing complexity.”

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