Sustainability

Transportation

We’re decarbonizing transportation across our business by increasing fleet efficiency, expanding the use of lower-carbon fuels, and scaling electric and alternative fuel vehicles. We also partner on initiatives to reduce and avoid carbon emissions in the wider transportation industry, and engage with policymakers and other decision-makers to advance policies in support of transportation decarbonization.

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Progress

680M packages delivered by electric vehicles globally

Amazon packages on a doorstep.

€1B investment to double Amazon's European zero-tailpipe-emissions delivery fleet over the next five years

The door of an all-electric Amazon delivery truck.

100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles ordered from Rivian—the largest order ever of electric delivery vehicles

A miniature model of an Amazon electric delivery van is shown on top of a table.

Our approach

We rely on a complex transportation network to get products from manufacturers and sellers to customers around the globe. Our logistics network spans every step of the journey—from global transportation between factories and ports, to last mile delivery between delivery stations and customers. We’re focused on decarbonizing our transportation network across each of these segments.

Our transportation network

  • First mile

    First mile transportation is the beginning of a product’s shipment path from the manufacturer, wholesaler, or distributor to an Amazon facility via ship, airplane, train, or truck.

  • Middle mile

    Packages arrive at an Amazon facility, and travel between fulfillment centers, sort centers, and delivery stations via commercial trucking, aviation, maritime, and intermodal sea and rail.

  • Last mile

    Products are transported from sort centers and delivery stations to customers via delivery vans, electric delivery vehicles, and micromobility solutions.

First mile

We’re focusing on decarbonizing first mile transportation while maintaining efficiency and reliability and reducing costs. We've discovered innovative ways to prioritize ocean and rail transportation to reduce our reliance on airfreight. We’re also collaborating on initiatives to decarbonize transportation. Check out some of our featured initiatives.

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A view from the inside of a vehicle shows wind turbines along a dry hillside.
Shipping containers are shown neatly stacked on a ship deck.
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  • In 2021, we were a founding member of the First Movers Coalition, a global coalition of companies leveraging purchasing power to decarbonize the world's heavy-emitting sectors. Through our active participation, we’re supporting First Movers Coalition’s goal to use maritime ships with zero-emission fuels for at least 10% of cargo shipped internationally by 2030.
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  • In early 2023, we co-founded the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) with the Aspen Institute, Patagonia, and Tchibo. ZEMBA seeks to accelerate commercial deployment of zero-emission shipping, enable economies of scale, and reduce maritime emissions.
    Learn more
  • Lower-carbon aviation fuel currently represents less than 0.1% of global aviation fuel and remains cost-prohibitive for most companies. That’s why we became a founding member of the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance and played a critical role in launching the Sustainable Aviation Fuel certificates Registry, which aims to bring more transparency to emissions-reduction claims and accelerate sustainable aviation fuel deployment.
    Learn more

Middle mile

In addition to enhancing routing efficiency, we’re decarbonizing middle-mile transportation by increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road and at our facilities and adopting lower-carbon fuels. We also partner with others to create industry solutions that accelerate the decarbonization of this leg of the transportation network.

  • Renewable diesel

    We began mobile fueling diesel-powered vehicles with renewable diesel at all California and Oregon fulfillment and sort centers in 2023. 

    A long-haul Amazon truck is shown from above driving down a road.

  • Hydrogen fuel

    In 2023, we piloted the use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) in Europe and Japan. In 2024, we aim to increase the number of FCVs deployed in our transportation network.

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  • Renewable natural gas

    We’re increasing the availability of compressed natural gas vehicles (CNGs). CNGs are trucks powered by natural gas instead of gasoline or diesel fuel.

    Two towers used to store natural gas are shown against blue sky.
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Large, green fields with solar panels and building structures in the middle are shown from above.
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Last mile

To help reduce delivery-related emissions, we’re investing in electric vehicles and working to optimize our delivery van and package fill rates as products embark on the final leg of their journey. We’re also using micromobility solutions, such as e-cargo bikes and on-foot deliveries, to bring packages to customers in ways that generate fewer carbon emissions. Check out some of our featured initiatives. 

🇮🇳 India

Launching a fleet of 100% electric vehicles

We launched a lease program to help decarbonize last mile delivery operations for delivery service partners across India. These custom three-wheelers produce no tailpipe emissions, making them an ideal choice for areas with poor air quality. We’re on track to achieve our goal of having 10,000 electric vehicles in our India fleet by 2025.

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A person is shown driving from the inside of a vehicle.

🌎 Worldwide

Reducing emissions with micromobility delivery solutions

From traffic and congestion to limited parking options, we approach delivering packages in big, dense cities like New York differently, to address their unique complexities and characteristics. In 2023, we delivered more than 125 million packages via e-cargo bikes and on foot from micromobility hubs worldwide.

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🇧🇷 Brazil

Delivering to customers in favelas

Favelas are high-density housing complexes built informally on land where many online retailers won’t deliver because there are no street names, numbers, or addresses. We use artificial intelligence and machine learning to create precise routes and employ local drivers who live in and know the communities so that residents receive their packages with the same efficiency as the rest of São Paulo.

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Partnering for decarbonized transportation

Decarbonizing our transportation network will require cross-company partnerships, which is why we seek to participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives to shift the industry toward lower-carbon solutions. See how we’re collaborating with others across the transportation industry.
Learn more

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