Study confirms online shopping pollutes as much as about 44 coal-fired power plants

28-05-23

Major e-commerce companies are on track to emit as much CO2 into the atmosphere as 44 coal-fired power plants each year, according to a study, which finds that Amazon and four other e-commerce giants still rely on fossil fuels to deliver their packages. In this way, online shopping continues to be a major enemy of the climate.

The study, jointly conducted by the Clean Mobility Collective (CMC) and the Stand.earth Research Group (SRG), predicts that if the current rate of growth in online shopping continues, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - which are responsible for climate change - will increase exponentially by 2030, and warns that cases of air pollution-induced illnesses will also skyrocket.

Amazon logistics, DHL eCommerce Solutions, UPS, FedEx and Geopost, the leading online delivery companies, "are not delivering on their promise to deploy zero-emission vehicles and avoid disclosing sufficient data related to last-mile emissions," says the research, which reflects the climate and health impacts of the e-commerce boom.