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Originally published on November 25, 2020, updated December 15, 2023
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In an effort to make things a little greener, Amazon launched a new initiative in the form of an Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly badge across the marketplace in 2020. Customers can see this label across all categories and products, from diapers to lip balm. But what does the program entail and what does Climate Pledge Friendly mean? How can sellers get involved?
Amazon’s efforts to be more eco-friendly are robust and ongoing. It co-founded The Climate Pledge initiative in 2019, signaling an effort to be carbon net-zero across the business by 2040. This goal is 10 years faster than the conditions in the Paris Agreement and will require substantial effort from such a large global company.
In recent years, Amazon has launched and promoted a number of sustainability initiatives, from drone and electric vehicle delivery to solar-powered fulfillment centers and Frustration-Free Packaging. The latest initiative is the Climate Pledge Friendly badge.
In September 2020, the Climate Pledge Friendly label first appeared on Amazon. The program aims to make it easier for customers to find and purchase eco-friendly sustainable products.
“Customers will now see the Climate Pledge Friendly label when searching for more than 25,000 products to signify that the products have one or more of 19 different sustainability certifications that help preserve the natural world, such as reducing the carbon footprint of shipments to customers,” Amazon said in its Day One blog announcement.
Customers can see Climate Pledge Friendly products in Amazon search results with a clear label. When a customer browses the product’s detail page, they will also see additional sustainability information. These products are also featured in a dedicated store to be even easier to locate.
Amazon currently works with 18 third-party sustainability certifications, such as the Rainforest Alliance, Bluesign, and Energy Star products. This includes a range of non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and independent laboratories, each with their own certification requirements. Each represents “certifications that are reputable, transparent, and have a focus on preserving the natural world,” says Amazon. Amazon is also potentially adding more certifications by evaluating and assessing other partnerships as they arise.
Alongside this, Amazon also launched its own sustainability certification criteria called Compact by Design (more on this later). The goal of this program is to identify products that are designed more efficiently and require less packaging.
In 2022, Amazon introduced a partnership with Control Union, an approved certification body, to make it easier to certify and enroll textile products into the Climate Pledge Friendly program.
Amazon announced several sustainability updates at Accelerate 2023. It added three new certifications to qualify for a Climate Pledge Friendly badge:
SCS Recycled Content Standard and International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Plus are third-party certifications. Amazon developed the Plant-Based Fiber Blended certification.
Amazon is also committed to helping sellers minimize packaging waste. Ships in Product Packaging is launching in 2024 to all FBA sellers. Sellers will work with Amazon to redesign packaging so that your items can ship in their own branded product packaging without any additional Amazon packaging. This can help sellers reduce FBA fees and save on packaging costs. More compact products will also help reduce transportation costs.
A Sustainability Solutions Hub will make it easier to enroll in the Climate Pledge Friendly, Amazon Renewed, and Ships in Product Packaging programs. Sellers will be able to see performance metrics and find suggestions for the next products to enroll, along with anticipated business impacts. The Certification Recommendation tool helps sellers identify relevant Climate Pledge Friendly certifications. The sustainability category in the Service Provider Network includes providers who can help sellers enroll in Amazon's product and packaging sustainability programs.
If you’re an existing Amazon vendor or seller, you are welcome to enroll your eligible products. Amazon makes it easy: If your product has at least one of the certifications listed on the program’s page, including Amazon’s Compact by Design certification, it may qualify and be eligible to display the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly badge.
Sellers should review the list of sustainability certifications. If you sell a product that already has one of these designations, you don’t need to change anything. Go to Seller Central or Vendor Central and file a contact to request the addition if the badge doesn't currently appear on your listings.
If you currently are working toward certification or wish to apply, Amazon encourages sellers to find which ones match your product type or sustainability aspiration and work directly with the certifying program. Amazon says it will receive updates from the certifiers themselves to identify Climate Pledge Friendly products. You may also find more information in Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly Certification Guide.
Compact by Design offers a different eco-friendly angle. For products that do not have external certification, Amazon is using a different process. Using existing product attributes in the catalog, Amazon has determined which products qualify for its sustainability certification and given them the distinction on the website.
These include eco-friendly attributes, such as concentrated products, less air, more efficient packaging, and more. Amazon emphasizes unit efficiency in its certifications. Item package dimensions, item weight, and number of units are all part of the unit efficiency equation.
Visit the Compact by Design website for more information. Products must meet qualifying unit efficiency guidelines, be registered with the Amazon Brand Registry, and be featured in an eligible category.
To learn more about these new Amazon programs and the qualification criteria, visit Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly page. You can also find the Climate Pledge Friendly badge on qualifying products and investigate their detail pages.
For help with your catalog or applying to any Amazon program, please contact our team of Amazon experts at eCommerce Nurse.
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