Amazon workers push company on climate

Thousands of Amazon employees signed an open letter that was released on Wednesday calling on the tech giant to do more on climate change.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 3,500 Amazon employees had signed onto the letter using their full names, a rare move for tech worker activists.

The employees are calling for Amazon to transition away from fossil fuels as a company, to advocate for policies that reduce carbon emissions, and to prioritize “climate impact” when making business decisions.

“Amazon has the resources and scale to spark the world’s imagination and redefine what is possible and necessary to address the climate crisis,” the employees wrote in the open letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s board of directors. “We believe this is a historic opportunity for Amazon to stand with employees and signal to the world that we’re ready to be a climate leader.”

Amazon’s response: An Amazon spokesperson touted the company’s existing efforts on climate change, including “Shipment Zero” and its commitment earlier this year to share Amazon’s companywide carbon footprint.

“We have launched several major and impactful programs and are working hard to integrate this approach fully across Amazon,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Our dedication to ensuring that our customers understand how we are addressing environmental issues has been unwavering – we look forward to launching more work and sharing more this year.”