Amazon Fresh has opened the world’s first ever net-zero carbon grocery store, marking an important milestone in its Climate Pledge commitments.
The ecommerce giant is seeking zero carbon certification from the International Living Future Institute for its latest Amazon Fresh location, making it the first grocery store to do so.
The Seattle-based store boasts more than a dozen sustainability upgrades and features. These will save 185 tons of CO2 every year compared to the average grocery store – equivalent to driving around the Earth 18 times.
Other updates include a CO2-based refrigeration system, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 38 metric tons per year. Low-carbon concrete flooring reduces carbon by almost 40%.
The store will also be powered using 100% renewable electricity sourced from Amazon’s renewable energy projects, helping the company meet its goal of offering 100% renewable energy across all facilities by 2025.
Electric vehicle charging stations outside the store also allow customers to charge their cars for free while they shop.
Read more: Amazon Fresh opens its first store of 2022
This is all part of Amazon’s effort to become a net-zero carbon business by 2040 — a full 10 years ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement.
“We are constantly thinking about what we can do to make the customer shopping experience easier, more seamless, and more sustainable,” said Amazon Grocery’s vice president Stephenie Landry.
“We know many customers are prioritizing sustainability in what products they buy and where they choose to shop. With our newest Amazon Fresh store, we are taking the next step on our path to becoming a net-zero carbon business by 2040, and we welcome customers to experience this first-hand while shopping with us in this store.”
“Amazon’s pursuit of zero carbon certification for its latest Amazon Fresh location shows an important commitment to verifiable carbon reductions,” said Lindsay Baker, CEO of the International Living Future Institute.
“As the world’s first grocer seeking zero carbon certification, this approach represents an important benchmark for the grocery sector and the retailers overall.”
Amazon has opened 17 checkout-free Amazon Fresh stores in the UK so far, with plans to roll out 260 branches across the UK over the next three years.
