By Contributing Writer Caroline Quirk
The recent influx of global climate strikes and the 2019 UN Climate Summit have sparked an increasing interest in the issue of climate change. More discussions have developed globally about what can and should be done about the growing climate crisis, so much so that monster companies such as Amazon have completely changed course.
No doubt that the issue of climate change is being spread across regions, classes, and amongst all communities. The real questions arise when these communities want to help out, what can we do?
It would be a lie to say that every individual act helps immensely to get us out of the issue, unfortunately we are far past that threshold. That doesn’t mean that everyone should stop using the stairs and take the elevator or stop limiting their single use plastics.
If every single individual had the mindset that making those little changes in their daily lives doesn’t help and they stop, then those little changes suddenly become huge obstacles for solving the climate crisis. These seemingly ‘little’ actions may not be significant in the grand scheme of things, but when the whole population is following them, they become crucial.
The issue of climate change goes far beyond the daily actions of individuals. Major companies and corporations are hugely responsible for taking action, as they are a big part of the problem.
Amazon, whose inaction has caught the attention of employees and customers, has finally made their own climate pledge. Amazon has set the goal to meet the Paris Agreement ten years early. They committed to net zero carbon by 2040 and 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Amazon co-founded this climate pledge with Global Optimism, an organization that aims to start a transformation from pessimism to optimism as a method of creating environmental change. Amazon is the first (hopefully of many) signatory of this pledge.
Not only was Amazon the first to commit to meeting the Paris Agreement goal early, but they are additionally partnering with The Nature Conversancy to invest $100 million to restore and protect forests. This will help remove millions of metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere over the lifetime of the project.
If a company that delivers more than 10 billion items a year can meet the goal of the Paris Agreement ten years early, then more companies should follow suit. Sustainability is the new green, but we can’t stop here.