Amazon 'threatens to fire' employees speaking out on climate change

In September 2019 Amazon disclosed its carbon footprint for the very first time. The online retail behemoth unsurprisingly contributed more greenhouse gas emissions than some big competitors in retail, logistics and technology, but released a statement in the by now familiar corporate format that it was ‘committed to powering all of its business operations by renewable energy sources by 2030.’

Of course the billions of packages delivered and returned by Amazon’s logistics partners come with a colossal carbon footprint and near immeasurable environmental impact. Which is why the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ) have been radically pushing the company to reduce its carbon emissions.

Employees under threat

AECJ members have been vocal about Amazon not being at the forefront of corporate social responsibility and lack of environmental disclosures, including staging a walk-out and joining the Global Climate Strike in 2019. Now a group of employees have said the company has threatened to fire some of them for speaking out on environmental issues which are in violation of company policies.

It comes after employees joined calls for the e-commerce giant to do more to tackle climate change. In a Twitter post, AECJ said some employees had been contacted by Amazon’s legal and human resources teams and questioned about public comments they had made.

The statement went on to say: “Some workers then received follow-up emails threatening termination if they continue to speak about Amazon’s business.”

Amazon told the BBC the rules were not new, adding: “We recently updated the policy and related approval process to make it easier for employees to participate in external activities such as speeches, media interviews, and use of the company’s logo. As with any company policy, employees may receive a notification from our HR team if we learn of an instance where a policy is not being followed.”

The group has called on Amazon to achieve zero emissions by 2030, limit its work with fossil fuel companies, and stop funding for politicians and lobbyists who deny the existence of climate change.

Image via Amazon Facebook; article source BBC