Millions of Christians across the UK are being encouraged to break the Amazon habit in a major new campaign.
- JustMoney Movement launches campaign to encourage churchgoers and churches to shop ethically and move away from Amazon
- Campaign launched to coincide with Amazon’s AGM and aims to highlight the company’s heavily criticised tax practices
- Challenge Amazon will support individuals and churches to act collectively as part of an international drive for global economic reform.
A major new UK campaign is urging millions of Christians to shop ethically, avoid Amazon over its tax practices and other harmful impacts, and support global efforts to reform rules governing large corporations.
JustMoney Movement, an education and campaigning charity working across UK churches, is behind the campaign Challenge Amazon: Break the Habit, Fix the Rules. It is urging tens of thousands of members of its movement, nearly 40,000 churches and millions of Christians across the UK to vote with their wallets and, wherever possible, move their shopping away from the global online retailer towards more ethical alternatives.
Amazon is the UK and world’s largest online retailer, with around a 30% global market share. But it has been accused of avoiding paying billions in fair taxes globally, including an estimated £2bn over the last five years in the UK alone. The company, whose multi-billionaire founder Jeff Bezos remains the largest individual shareholder, has also been heavily criticised for its record on workers’ rights and environmental practices.
Sarah Edwards, Executive Director of JustMoney Movement said:
The global economy is broken, driving wealth inequality, worsening the climate crisis, and widening the gap between rich and poor. The money we spend too often goes to large companies like Amazon that make excessive untaxed profits at the expense of local communities, low-paid workers, and the environment.
There are tens of thousands of churches and millions of Christians across the UK. As active Christians, we have the spending power to demand change and choose to buy from companies that pay their taxes responsibly, reinvest in local communities, and protect our environment.”
As part of the Challenge Amazon campaign, JustMoney Movement is providing campaign packs to thousands of supporters and local church leaders, offering ethical shopping information, ideas for local campaigning, and communication tools.
The charity is also launching an online pledge to encourage people to “break the habit” and shop more sustainably. It will also launch a write-to-your-MP tool, calling for support for international efforts to address the harmful impact of large corporations and advance global economic justice through initiatives such as the UN Tax Convention.
Sarah Edwards added:
This campaign will focus on the harm caused by corporations like Amazon, especially through uncollected tax that could fund public services, tackle poverty, and address the climate crisis.
We must urgently rethink how our economy works and what we value, and as Christians, we can play an active role as part of a wider global movement in driving lasting change.”
Notes to editors:
Amazon AGM takes place online on Wednesday 20th May
For media enquiries, please contact:
Simon Thomson
info@justmoney.org.uk
campaigns@justmoney.org.uk