Amazon has become the first major company not to use a global standard for verifying carbon offsets, in a move which could lead to confusion in the market.
The Jeff Bezos-founded firm is instead backing its standard known as Abacus, which it has developed jointly with a carbon registry named Verra.
Abacus is an alternative to the standard developed by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), the largest grouping of private sector and environmental groups dedicated to validating carbon offsets.
In a move reported by Reuters, the move could help Amazon reach its target of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions to zero on a net basis by 2040.
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Amazon’s head of carbon neutralisation Jamey Mulligan said Amazon evaluated and supported ICVCM’s work, but that it wanted a more ambitious standard.
He said: “We want to ensure that every credit investment has a real, conservatively quantified and verified impact on emissions,”
However, critics worry that the move could lead to market confusion and a compromise in the standards of carbon offsets.
Pedro Martins Barata, co-chair of ICVCM’s panel of experts, said he was concerned and that he hoped Abacus would eventually integrate with ICVCM to avoid market confusion.
Last month, Amazon said it had nearly eliminated the plastic air pillows used in its North American delivery packaging, significantly cutting waste in its fulfilment centres.