We are continually looking for ways to make our business more sustainable as we work to meet The Climate Pledge, a commitment Amazon co-founded with Global Optimism to reach net-zero carbon by 2040—10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.
In June 2020, we launched the Climate Pledge Fund, a $2 billion investment program to support the development of sustainable and decarbonizing technologies and services that will enable Amazon and other companies to meet the goals set by The Climate Pledge. The fund is investing in visionary companies across industries, including transportation and logistics, energy generation, storage and utilization, manufacturing and materials, circular economy, and food and agriculture. The companies supported by the fund will facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
ZeroAvia—a leader in zero-emission aviation—is the latest startup to receive an investment from the Climate Pledge Fund. The company focuses on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions—targeting the ability to fly within a 500-mile range with a 10-20 seat aircraft used for commercial passenger transport, package delivery, agriculture, and more.
"Amazon created The Climate Pledge Fund to support the development of technologies and services that will enable Amazon and other companies to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement 10 years early—achieving net-zero carbon by 2040,” said Kara Hurst, vice president of worldwide sustainability at Amazon. “ZeroAvia’s zero-emission aviation powertrain has real potential to help decarbonize the aviation sector. We hope this investment will further accelerate the pace of innovation to enable zero-emission air transport at scale."
The aviation industry requires investment to advance innovation. Amazon is in a unique position to dedicate resources to making air transportation more sustainable. We believe sustainable aviation fuels are a critical solution to help decarbonize aviation. That’s why Amazon purchased 6 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel last summer. The recent additions of JetBlue, Harbour Air, and Boom Supersonic as signatories to The Climate Pledge, underscore the importance of decarbonizing the aviation sector.
“The Climate Pledge Fund is an example of how the collaborative efforts of The Climate Pledge can accelerate the transition to a net-zero world. These investments will scale new technologies—helping organizations increase the pace at which operational emissions can be reduced,” said Christiana Figueres, the UN’s former climate change chief and founding partner of Global Optimism. “Together these companies demonstrate that there are endless possibilities in the clean, healthy recovery we must create together.”
Amazon has already announced investments in CarbonCure Technologies, Pachama, Redwood Materials, Rivian, and Turntide Technologies. In addition to ZeroAvia, these companies are creating decarbonizing technologies that will help Amazon and other companies reach net-zero carbon by 2040.
Amazon continues to accept applications for The Climate Pledge Fund. Learn more about the Climate Pledge Fund.
