Our new campaign Challenge Amazon is inviting people to Break the Habit of shopping with Amazon.
We have hosted the Church Action for Tax Justice campaign for many years. Amazon is a major example of unjust corporate tax practices, so that’s a major reason for many of us to Break the Habit.
But tax is just one of many justice issues that convinces people to switch away from Amazon. For Great Big Green Week (6 – 14 June), we are exploring some of the concerns around Amazon’s impact on climate and nature.
If your church is working towards an Eco Church award, or you are thinking about how your spending choices affect people and planet, this blog could be a useful conversation starter.
1. Fast, global delivery comes with a climate cost
The convenience of Amazon’s quick delivery service is what makes it so popular. Amazon delivered an estimated 8.9 billion parcels globally in 2023. But a focus on fast, convenient delivery means massive emissions from transport, including air freight. Research by Stand.Earth suggests that Amazon is not doing nearly enough to reduce its transport emissions, and the company has also backed out of its previous commitment to make 50% of its shipments net-zero by 2030.
2. Amazon’s data centres are resource intensive and causing health concerns
Amazon is investing heavily in AI and rapidly rolling out new data centres. These facilities require huge amounts of water and power. This is concerning for global carbon emissions, but impacts are being felt by local communities too. In Canton, a majority Black town in the US, residents living alongside the construction of Amazon’s new AI data centre have reported lung irritation and breathing difficulties from building works. There are fears that the diesel generators installed by Amazon to provide back-up power will be a major source of noise and air pollution.
3. Packaging waste is fuelling the plastics crisis
Amazon’s contribution to the global plastics crisis is well documented. In 2019, Amazon generated enough plastic packaging waste to circle the Earth 500 times. Thanks to campaigners’ efforts and to changes in local legislation, Amazon has reduced its use of single-use plastics in recent years. Yet the wider challenge remains. A business model built on delivering vast numbers of individual items direct to people’s houses inevitably generates massive amounts of waste.
4. Corporate power is slowing down climate progress
Big tech giants like Amazon are a dominant force in the global economy. With this power and wealth comes significant influence over politics and policy makers. What does this mean for global climate action? We should be cautious of Amazon’s green claims. Shareholders and campaigners have been pushing Amazon to be more transparent about its connection with organisations that are actively lobbying against climate progress.
This is why we need coordinated action – from consumers, employees, shareholders and those who have the power to ensure powerful companies are properly regulated and held accountable.
So, what’s the alternative?
Where possible, shopping locally with smaller, independent shops and with ethical online retailers should be part of our climate action, alongside making efforts to reduce our overall consumption. Amazon’s business model depends on encouraging us to buy more, more often. The more we consume, the more pressure we put on the Earth’s resources.
Our Challenge Amazon page and church pack has suggestions for where to shop if you are avoiding Amazon, alongside an encouragement to buy less, buy second-hand, share and repair, to reduce waste.
But we know that individual choices alone won’t solve the problem.
We need joined up and ambitious action from governments too. That’s why we’ll soon be asking you to write to your MP to support the UN Tax Convention negotiations. A fairer global tax system can help ensure multinational companies such as Amazon contribute their fair share to the societies and communities they profit from.
Climate justice and tax justice are closely connected. Governments need the resources to invest in climate action, support communities affected by environmental damage, and build a fairer economy for everyone.
If you haven’t joined the campaign yet, you can pledge to Break the Habit today. Make sure you’ve signed up to our mailing list too to hear about more actions you can take and ways to stay involved.