During its Amazon Accelerate 2023 event, Amazon introduced the Amazon Sustainability Solutions Hub, expected to appear in Seller Central for all sellers in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K. by November 1, 2023.
The Sustainability Solutions Hub consolidates resources and reporting intended to make it easier for sellers to participate in and track progress with key Amazon climate initiatives including Climate Pledge Friendly, Ships in Product Packaging, and Amazon Renewed.
One way the hub is intended to help sellers is by simplifying the process of qualifying for Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) badges.
Climate Pledge Friendly products receive the Climate Pledge Friendly badge, which is displayed in search results and on product listings. Some estimate that these badges can drive up to 10% more clicks than a product would otherwise receive. Though Amazon’s landing page doesn’t quantify the benefit, it too highlights an increase in page views as part of the upside of participating.
To be eligible for the CPF badge, products must receive one of more than 50 external certifications, or Amazon’s own Compact by Design certification. But to many sellers, navigating this landscape of certifications is a barrier to participation. The requirements and application processes vary widely, and identifying the most relevant and achievable certifications to pursue can be prohibitively time-consuming.
To streamline the process, the Sustainability Solutions Hub will consolidate information about certifications that are part of the Climate Pledge Friendly program, including direct links to relevant courses. Recent certifications added to the program include:
In 2022, Amazon delivered about 11% of its products without the customary Amazon box package. Via its new hub, the company aims to make this option available to sellers using the Fulfilled by Amazon service by 2024.
That option essentially removes a barrier some companies have when trying to align their own sustainability policies with selling on Amazon.
Amazon will also introduce a Sustainability category to its Service Provider Network, billed as a one-stop shop for running an ecommerce business on Amazon. This new category will showcase third-party vendors curated by Amazon that can assist with product design, packaging, and certification of products.
The Hub will also feature new reporting, including a breakout of the percentage of revenue generated by Climate Pledge Friendly products.
The launch of the Sustainability Solutions Hub follows the announcement in July that beginning in 2024, Amazon will require suppliers to share their carbon emissions data and set their own GHG reduction goals.
By providing more tools and solutions to help sellers and suppliers measure and reduce their emissions, Amazon is also aiming at progress towards its goal of net zero emissions by 2040, including across its supply chain.