In September 2019, Amazon pledged to become carbon neutral by 2040. Now the e-commerce giant is launching a $2 billion venture capital fund to help make that goal a reality.
The Climate Pledge Fund will invest in technology companies working to combat climate change in the transportation, logistics, and storage industries.
"We're looking to invest in products and solutions that help us to decarbonize and that really have an impact on our quick evolution to a low-carbon economy," Kara Hurst, head of sustainability at Amazon, told Cheddar.
At the same time, the company released an annual sustainability report showing a 15 percent increase in carbon dioxide emissions in 2019.
However, the report also announced that the company is on a path to run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2025, which is five years ahead of schedule.
Hurst maintains that "e-commerce is inherently more sustainable" than other consumer options, and that expanding Amazon's warehouse and distribution network into local markets will help cut down carbon emissions for individual orders.
"We're looking at all the ways that we can place products closer to our customers and continue to drive down carbon that way," she said.
One area where Amazon is already working to balance higher business volume with sustainable goals is in packaging. Since 2015, the company has reduced packaging weight by 33 percent and cut more than 880,000 tons of packaging material, equalling roughly 1.5 billion shipping boxes.
"We have been on this path for a long time, and will continue to be on the path," Hurst said.
With wedding season underway, couples can get overwhelmed with finances and planning. Guests also feel stressed, especially when being invited to several weddings. Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst with Bankrate.com, joined Cheddar News to discuss setting up a budget if attending multiple ceremonies.
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Meta has introduced Whatsapp Channels, a feature aimed at making the app a "private broadcast messaging product."
Edward Moya, chief market strategist with Oanda, joined Cheddar News to discuss Thursday's gains as investors were surprised by a jump in weekly job claims and as Wall Street braces for key inflation data and the Fed's latest policy announcement.
Rebecca Walser, financial planner and wealth strategist, offers some tips on how to bring everyday spending in line with budgets by avoiding certain purchases.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week rose to its highest level since October 2021, but the labor market remains one of the healthiest parts of the U.S. economy.
Stocks are drifting Thursday, continuing this week’s lull as Wall Street waits for several big events next week.
Apple's new iOS 17 has some promising upgrades in store for group chats. Previously, when a iMessage group chat contained an Android user, it would lose features such as text editing and threaded replies. Now group chats will retain those features, even when there is a "green bubble" in the mix.
Workers at the Barnes & Noble in Manhattan's Union Square, one of the retail chain's signature stores and home to its corporate offices, have voted to unionize.
U.S. and British cybersecurity officials warned Wednesday that a Russian cyber-extortion gang's hack of a file-transfer program popular with corporations could have widespread global impact. Initial data-theft victims include the BBC, British Airways and Nova Scotia's government.
