In MENA, Amazon is building more sustainable operations in three different ways and will establish metrics to evaluate progress and identify areas for improvement.
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Creating energy-efficient infrastructure
At a time when countries in the region are looking to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels, Amazon is committed to having all its Fulfilment Centres in MENA powered by renewable energy up to the maximum permissible capacity. Following DXB3 in the UAE, two more facilities in Saudi Arabia and Egypt are scheduled to be online by 2022. The company will continue to work with regulators, industry players, and utility partners to support public policy frameworks that expand the role of renewables across the region. In addition, Amazon will incorporate carbon-friendly design concepts into its new buildings while also strengthening its control systems, data, and analytics, to improve energy efficiency across all facilities.
Transforming our transportation network
In line with the region’s ambitions to switch to low carbon transportation, Amazon will transform its transportation fleet in MENA through new technology, equipment, electric vehicles, and alternative fuel; and introducing new delivery models that get packages to customers more sustainably. Pushing the boundaries of change, the company continues to work with mobility innovators and supply chain partners to explore zero-carbon vehicles using electrification and low carbon alternative fuels.
Reducing waste in packaging
As governments in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt make efforts to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills, Amazon is working to reinvent and simplify packaging in line with its global goal of carbon-neutral shipments by 2040. Reducing the carbon footprint of each Amazon parcel requires collaboration with partners to reduce packaging waste. Amazon will expand its Ship In Own Container (i.e. shipping in the product’s original packaging without the need for an Amazon box) program to 12% of shipments in the UAE and 10% in Saudi Arabia in 2021. In addition, Amazon leverages advanced Machine Learning models to continue to optimize its packaging suite to reduce the size and weight of boxes resulting in fewer delivery trips.
Amazon believes that solving the climate crisis requires collective action between businesses, organizations, and governments. The company continues to collaborate with government and industry partners in MENA, with an aim to support policy discussions and encourage sustainable innovations across the communities where it operates.
