As of November 9, 2021, two thirds of Amazon deliveries to customers in Paris are now achieved with zero-emission last mile transportation. The company revealed it has expanded its fleet of e-vans, bikes and foot deliveries from micro-hubs in the French capital and plans to introduce micro-mobility initiatives in other cities across France.
The initiative to deliver parcels to Parisians with zero-emission methods through its last mile delivery service partners is a critical step towards Amazon’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions across all its activities by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. The target is the central goal of The Climate Pledge, co-founded by Amazon in 2019.
Amazon’s initiative is Paris is also a step towards Shipment Zero, Amazon’s vision to make all Amazon shipments net-zero carbon, with a goal of delivering 50% of shipments with net zero carbon by 2030. Shipment Zero means that the fulfillment operations we undertake to deliver a customer’s shipment are net zero carbon—from the fulfillment center where an item is picked off the shelf, to the materials used to package the item, and the mode of transportation that gets the package to the customer’s door. As part of this vision, Shipment Zero orders will be transported in a zero-emissions delivery vehicle or by a delivery associate on foot or on bicycle. Zero-emissions delivery vehicles are 100% battery electric or hydrogen-fueled, an come in addition to electric bikes and electric three-wheelers.
Using a combination of electric vehicles, cargo bikes and carts for deliveries on foot through its delivery service partners, the initiative aims at decarbonizing the last mile delivery process, by cutting tailpipe emissions for transport from the delivery station to customers’ address. Travel distance is also reduced as deliveries depart from Amazon’s hubs located close to customers in Paris’s 18 districts and neighboring sites, as well as from three RATP bus locations in Paris’s 14th, 16th and 20th districts.
In addition to this, other partners providing services to deliver parcels to Amazon customers, including those from La Poste Group or Colis Privé, are also engaging in their own carbon reduction initiatives independently.
Ronan Bolé, Director of Amazon Logistics in France, said: “At Amazon, we are committed to use our size and scale to make a difference to protect the environment because it's a win all around – it's good for business, the planet, and our customers. This is why we are excited to present this comprehensive initiative to serve Paris customers with zero-emission last mile delivery. This is a major step towards our goal to achieve zero-emission deliveries across France.”
Across Europe, Amazon is working to launch zero-emission deliveries: the company’s fleet is already comprised of thousands of electric and natural gas vehicles as part of the company’s journey to build the most sustainable transportation fleet in the world. These includes e-cargo bikes making deliveries in five French cities as well as seven German metropolitan areas, and electric scooters on the streets of various cities in Italy and Spain.
Amazon also continues to focus on reducing carbon emissions in middle mile transportation. This includes piloting a range of alternative delivery methods in collaboration with local partners, in order to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. As an example, in 2020, we ordered battery electric trucks from Lion Electric, and in 2021, we began testing hydrogen-powered trucks, while also expanding multi-modal transport - by rail - to reduce the emissions from road travel.
Since Amazon launched The Climate Pledge in 2019, the company has continued to invest heavily in renewable energy, building on projects already established. Earlier this year, the company became the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in Europe, with 2,7 GW of renewable energy project in Europe and 10 GW globally. Amazon is on a path to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025.
While Amazon ramps up its initiatives for zero-emission deliveries, a recent report* shows that shopping online results in 50% less greenhouse gas emissions than physical retail and over 4 times less traffic by avoiding consumers to drive to stores with individual cars (*Oliver Wyman, « Is E-Commerce Good for Europe”, April 2021).
