Amazon will let companies that have adopted comprehensive emissions reduction goals buy “high integrity” carbon credits generated by carbon removal projects already backed by the $638 billion e-commerce and cloud services company.

The new strategy, announced March 19, applies only to companies cutting greenhouse gas emissions across all three categories: Scope 1 (their own operations), Scope 2 (purchased electricity) and Scope 3 (indirect sources across their supply chain). It’s also available to the 550 signatories of the Climate Pledge, companies aiming to achieve net-zero status by 2040.

Companies that have already signed up include photo service Flickr, real estate firms Ryan Companies and Seneca Group, consumer electronics maker Corsair, office furniture supplier Steelcase and tech consulting firm Slalom. Interested companies can fill out this form.

“At Flickr and SmugMug, we invest in a number of nature-based solutions for impact beyond just carbon, but they often lack credibility,” said Flickr COO and President Ben MacAskill, in a statement. “Amazon’s expertise and scientific rigor means our team can meet our climate goals with confidence.”

Amazon’s in-house carbon project review process

Amazon is investing heavily in nature-based approaches for sequestering excess CO₂ in the atmosphere, and it created its own methodology for evaluating them. That approach, called Abacus, considers issues such as durability (how long the trees are likely to last) and leakage (when a forest restoration project causes deforestation elsewhere).  

“We’re using our size and high vetting standards to help promote additional investments in nature, and we are excited to share this new opportunity with companies who are also committed to the difficult work of decarbonizing their operations,” said Amazon Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst in the March 19 announcement.

Amazon doesn’t disclose how many carbon credits it buys or retires annually to neutralize emissions. Nor is it revealing how many credits will be available through the new service, an Amazon spokesperson said. The first credits are from Amazon’s relationship with the LEAF Coalition, which has committed $1 billion to development in countries including Brazil.

Amazon reduced its emissions 3 percent year over year in 2023, primarily because of its expansive renewable energy purchases, but its footprint has increased 34.5 percent since