Amazon Pioneering in Micromobility to Decarbonise Deliveries

Every day, Amazon’s 1.5 million strong workforce ships and delivers approximately 1.6 million packages around the world.

Each of these has an impact on the environment, from packaging to transportation and delivery.

As a company with such a global impact, Amazon has the potential to make enormous change and lead multiple industries in becoming more sustainable. 

To reduce the impact of its deliveries, Amazon is now using sustainable transportation across cities in a series of ‘micromobility’ hubs.

Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon, says: “At Amazon, we are always looking for ways to move faster, deliver the best possible customer experience, and innovate. 

We know that driving change means staying focused on bringing entire industries along with us.”

Amazon’s sustainable micromobility hubs

Many Amazon customers in London, Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast and Norwich will now receive packages via more sustainable transport.

And it's not just the UK – hubs have also been set up in European cities including Berlin, Munich and Paris.

Micromobility hubs are physical centres in urban areas where packages are sorted before being delivered. 

They facilitate cargo bike and on-foot deliveries where vans have been used before.

Amazon hopes that taking vans off city centre roads will help to improve air quality and alleviate congestion on the roads.

Millions of UK deliveries will be made each year from these hubs which are now operational in more than 40 cities across Europe.

Richard Hill, Head of Mobility and Logistics at NatWest Group, says: “This is fantastic news for the advancement of micromobility in the UK. 

“If Amazon believes in the approach then so should everyone else.”

Sustainable delivery initiatives from Amazon

Amazon, which was ranked in the Top 250 Companies in Sustainability, is investing €1bn (US$1.09bn) in the electrification and decarbonisation of its transportation across Europe through innovations like micromobility hubs.

This initiative includes £300m (US$381m) in the UK alone and aims to promote innovation in the logistics sector.

Amazon also hopes this will encourage the development of public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. 

In 2023, the company launched an open-source tool to identify priority locations to build electric charging points for heavy goods vehicles.

There are currently around 1,000 Amazon electric delivery vans operating on UK roads alongside nine fully electric heavy goods vehicles that have replaced traditional diesel trucks. 

Its goal is to use 100,000 electric delivery vehicles in every service worldwide by 2030. 

Sustainability at Amazon 

Amazon has been innovating in sustainability around the world for years.

The company aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

In 2023 it hit its target of matching 100% of electricity with renewable energy seven years ahead of schedule. 

John Boumphrey, VP Country Manager for UK and Ireland at Amazon, says: “Our £300 million investment in electrifying our transportation network is a crucial part of our commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040 – a full decade ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement – and this launch is another brilliant step forward in that journey.”

AI and machine learning are embedded into the company’s strategy, helping to meet its goals at speed and scale. 

Amazon’s AI Packaging Decision Engine helps to determine the most efficient packaging option for shipping using factors like an item’s shape and durability.

Its Flamingo algorithm supports the company to accurately measure the carbon footprint of products to see where changes are needed.

Amazon also democratises AI so other companies can use its models to meet sustainability goals. 

******

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Sustainability Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Sustainability LIVE 2024

******

Sustainability Magazine is a BizClik brand

******