According to Forbes, 92% of Gen Z and 90% of Millennial consumers are more likely to trust a brand that supports social or environmental issues. A great what to show Amazon customers that you’re an environmentally conscious brand is by participating in Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program. Climate Pledge Friendly uses sustainability certifications to highlight products that are making an effort to help preserve the natural world. Brands can participate and earn a Climate Pledge Friendly badge for their product(s) by securing certifications for products sold on Amazon that improve at least one aspect of sustainability.
Why You Should Participate in Climate Pledge Friendly
Amazon does not charge a fee for qualifying products to participate in Climate Pledge Friendly. Get benefits such as additional sales at no cost. Many consumers are looking to shop more sustainably and purchase eco-friendly products. Climate Pledge Friendly is helping these customers conveniently discover and shop for Climate Pledge Friendly products. Qualifying products are badged within shopping results and product pages and are featured in a dedicated section of the website.
Qualifying for Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly Badge
To qualify for Climate Pledge Friendly, your product must be certified by either…
- Amazon’s own Compact by Design certification
OR
- One or more of the qualifying external third-party sustainability certifications. Amazon works directly with these qualified third parties to obtain the list of ASINs they have certified.
Amazon’s Compact by Design Certification
Amazon’s Compact by Design label certifies products featuring a more efficient design (which eliminates excess air or water) to reduce the carbon footprint of packaging and shipping a product. For Compact by Design certification, Amazon uses existing product attributes from their catalog to determine qualification. To be certified Compact by Design, a product must have a qualifying unit efficiency, be registered in the Amazon Brand Registry program, and be in an eligible category. “Unit efficiency” is defined as the cubed volume per unit times the weight per unit. Below is an example of a listing from Winky Lux which received a Climate Pledge Friendly Badge certified by Compact by Design. To learn more about Amazon’s Compact by Design certification and qualification requirements, click here.
Third-party Sustainability Certification
Amazon chose certifications that were reputable, transparent, and focused on conserving the natural world, according to Adam Werbach, the global leader for sustainable shopping at Amazon.
Sellers interested in pursuing a certification from one of the sustainability certifications partnered with Amazon should review the list of qualified certifications to find one that matches their product type or sustainability aspiration. After identifying a good match, sellers work with the certifier directly to embark on the process. Amazon receives updates from the certifiers themselves to identify Climate Pledge Friendly products, so once you are certified, you shouldn’t need to make any changes to your product data on Amazon to be included in Climate Pledge Friendly.
Climate Pledge Friendly Certification
For eligibility to apply for the Climate Pledge Friendly Program your brand must have one of the below certifications:
Compact by Design (Amazon)
Bluesign
Carbon-free Certified
CarbonNeutral product by Natural Capital Partners
Carbon Neutral by Carbon Trust
Carbon Neutral Certified by SCS Global Services
Climate-neutral by ClimatePartner
Cradle to Cradle Certified
ECOLOGO
ENERGY STAR Most Efficient
EPEAT
Fairtrade International
The Forest Stewardship Council
Global Organic Textile Standard
Global Recycled Standard
Organic Content Standard 100
Rainforest Alliance
Recycled Claim Standard 100
Recycled Claim Standard Blended
Reducing CO2
Responsible Wool Standard
Regenerative Organic Certified
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safer Choice
EWG Verified
Animal Welfare Approved
What to Do if Your Product Meets the Climate Pledge Friendly Requirements, But Isn’t Badged…
If your product meets requirements but doesn’t have a badge, Amazon states that sellers should first check to make sure the unique product is certified (not the product packaging or an individual component of your product). If you still think your product should qualify, you can log in to your Seller/Vendor Central account to access the Contact Us page. You can also try to get in touch with an Amazon Account Representative at climatepledgefriendly-seller@amazon.com. Read more about the process of receiving the climate pledge-friendly badge.
How Environmentally Conscious Consumers Can Find Your Products
Products that are Climate Pledge Friendly have a label affixed to them, indicating that the product boasts at least one eco-friendly stamp of approval. The green badges are designed to help make it easier for customers to identify and discover more sustainable products. Environmentally conscious consumers can also find your product through Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly’s storefront.
How You Can Drive Sales to Your Climate Pledge Friendly Products
Amazon Advertising can be used in various ways to help you increase the discoverability of your Climate Pledge Friendly products.
- Add a Storefront Tab
You can create a separate page within your brand’s storefront to showcase all of your products that are Climate Pledge Friendly. This is a simple way to help your environmentally conscious consumers find sustainable products in your catalog that align with their values.
- Reach The Target Audience
Target consumers that have exhibited sustainably conscious behaviors, such as purchasing other Climate Pledge Friendly Products.
- Run Video Ads
Run video ads that explain your brand values, your participation in the Climate Pledge Friendly Program, and highlight the products in your catalog that are certified.
History Behind the Climate Pledge Friendly Initiative
Amazon launched the Climate Pledge Friendly initiative in 2020 to demonstrate commitment to sustainability. The program started off with around 25,000 Climate Pledge Friendly products and now there are currently over 75,000 Climate Pledge Friendly labeled products on Amazon. The Climate Pledge Friendly program is a part of Amazon’s larger initiative, The Climate Pledge. In 2019 Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge with Global Optimism. The pledge is a commitment to becoming “net-zero carbon” by 2040, meaning Amazon plans to eliminate carbon emissions as much as possible and offset any remaining carbon emissions to reach its goal. There is no fee for signatories to join the pledge, and signing up requires a commitment to regularly report greenhouse gas emissions, strive towards carbon elimination (including using renewable energy), and offset any remaining emissions.
Though Amazon’s initiative and ambitious goals are impressive, the online retailer still has a lot of work to do to address the extent of its environmental impact.
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