Two of the world’s largest retailers — Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc. — are taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their fulfillment operations by adding fleets of electric vehicles and electric flying drones.
The retailers say the new fulfillment vehicles are part of their plans to reach “net-zero carbon,” meaning they plan to reduce carbon emissions and offset all its remaining emissions by funding processes to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Common ways to offset carbon include reforestation and conservation projects, installing renewable energy technology to replace fossil-fuel-generated energy and capturing landfill gas for power generation.
As part of its plan to reach net-zero by 2040 — and in response to what it sees as growing consumer concerns about environmental sustainability — Amazon started deploying its first batch of Rivian electric delivery vans in more than a dozen cities in late July 2022. Those cities include Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, San Diego and Seattle. The deployment was part of a 2019 deal between Amazon’s logistics unit and Rivian Automotive Inc.
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