g AmazonImpact.
Illumination Index
19/22
Greenwashing Risk
Severe · 10/12
Credibility Gap
Severe · 9/10
Key Finding · Disclosure as strategic cover
Amazon publishes one of the most detailed sustainability reports in this dataset.
Absolute emissions stand 34% above the 2019 Climate Pledge baseline which is the same pledge Amazon co-founded as a demonstration of corporate climate leadership. The trajectory is moving in the wrong direction. That calculation does not appear anywhere in Amazon's sustainability communications.
Four things are absent from the sustainability report entirely.
Amazon removed its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitment in 2023 after it expired. It did not disclose this.
Amazon allocated $96.5 billion to AWS (Amazon Web Services) data center infrastructure in FY2025 which is the primary driver of its rising emissions and never connected that figure to its climate commitments in sustainability communications.
The Shipment Zero goal, committing Amazon to 50% net-zero shipments by 2030, was quietly deleted with no acknowledgment.
A greenwashing class action filed four months before the report's publication directly targeting sustainability claims made in that same report does not appear in the 2024 sustainability report.
Overall, selective disclosure is present.
The ECTF calls this disclosure as strategic cover. This happens when a company's reporting infrastructure is detailed enough to signal transparency while remaining selective enough to avoid accountability.
Amazon does indeed have a high volume of disclosure, but still lack transparency.
Part B: Credibility gap indicators
1. Emissions trajectory vs. reduction claims - Are emissions actually going down?
2. Carbon neutrality / net zero claim integrity - Is the 2050 commitment backed by anything real?
3. Omission of material controversies - What didn't make it into the sustainability report?
4. ESG ratings volatility - Volatility across independent rating agencies
5. TCFD disclosure completeness - How complete is the TCFD-aligned reporting?
Scored N/A where a company makes no relevant claim (e.g. no net zero commitment). Total max = 10.
Part A: Greenwashing indicators
1. Vagueness - Claims with no measurable meaning
2. Lack of quantification - Assertions without data attached
3. Selective disclosure - Selective reporting that omits unflattering numbers
4. Future deflection - Bold 2050 or future goals masking current performance
5. Third-party verification - No third-party validation of claims
6. Cross-platform inconsistency - Report vs. Instagram vs. investor materials
Each indicator scores 0 (absent), 1 (partial, mitigating factors present), or 2 (clear and systematic failure). Total max = 12.
References
Amazon. (2024). 2024 sustainability report. https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/
Amazon. (2024). Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Form 10-K). U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://ir.aboutamazon.com/annual-reports-proxies-and-shareholder-letters/annual-reports/default.aspx
Amazon Ads. (n.d.). How advertisers can connect with shoppers with sustainable marketing. https://advertising.amazon.com/blog/sustainable-marketing
CDP. (n.d.). Amazon CDP disclosure [Database]. https://www.cdp.net/en/responses
InfluenceMap. (2025). Amazon: Climate policy engagement [LobbyMap database profile]. https://lobbymap.org/company/Amazon
Net Zero Tracker. (n.d.). Amazon [Database entry]. Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, Oxford Net Zero, NewClimate Institute, & Data-Driven EnviroLab. https://zerotracker.net
Science Based Targets initiative. (n.d.). SBTi target dashboard [Database]. https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action
The Climate Pledge. (n.d.). About The Climate Pledge. https://www.theclimatepledge.com/us/en/the-pledge