There may be cages in your future, I will pray for you.
Amazon’s recent shareholder meeting featured a number of proposals from employees and shareholders, running the gamut from banning the sale of facial recognition technology, to the company’s plan to address its role in the climate change discussion. All of these proposals failed, mind. And Jeff Bezos himself wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of them.
As a matter of fact, last year shareholders and employees pushed a similar resolution to the latter. The company announced Shipment Zero, a plan to lower the company’s emissions regarding package deliveries. And then, nothing. Until, in April, a group called Amazon Employees for Climate Justice released an open letter addressing Bezos, imploring him to take a strong stance on climate change. Over 7,700 Amazon employees have signed it to date. Even ISS and Glass Lewis, proxy advisers to institutional investors, endorsed support of the resolution.
But you wouldn’t be able to tell from Bezos’ demeanor in the meeting. Over 50 Amazon employees were in attendance, where Emily Cunningham delivered a speech urging them to support the resolution.
Before I start my time. I’d like to ask for Jeff Bezos to come out on stage so I can speak to him directly. I’m representing 7,700 employees.
She was told by Amazon’s General Counsel, David Zapolsky, that Bezos would come out later. Cunningham then continue:
The climate crisis is the greatest threat we’ve ever faced. Speed is everything. Without bold, rapid action we will lose our only chance to avoid catastrophic warming.
How will we tell our children that we knew we had such a small window to act decisively, to leave fossil fuels in the ground, but instead we helped Shell, BP, and others find and extract oil more quickly?
Jeff, will you stand with us, and adopt this resolution? Or will you ignore the most important opportunity we’ve ever had: to take bold climate leadership when it mattered more than anything has ever mattered? This is not a rhetorical question: will you join us and vote to adopt the resolution?
Even shareholders stood in support of her plea. Bezos, however, was unfazed. He did, however, take the stage for a Q+A. At which, an employee asked the following:
As employees, we want to be proud of the company we work for. You’ve taught us to have customer obsession, ownership, long-term thinking, and bias for action. We must apply these leadership principles to the climate crisis. Jeff, will you commit to S-Team-level goals to decarbonize at the speed consistent with the latest climate science?
None of our 100 percent renewable energy goals have a date. In the climate crisis, winning slowly is the same as losing. In my Amazon work, I know I’m always expected to have dates and milestones on my product plans. Jeff, what is the date for when we will achieve 100 percent renewable energy for all of Amazon’s operations?
According to those at the meeting, Bezos answered the first with some boilerplate, and deferred the second to Amazon sustainability executive Kara Hurst, who also refused to comment.
Regardless, these employees are undeterred, several having faced disasters that may very well be related to climate change.
For me this just shows we need to redouble our efforts to communicate the need for immediate action from Jeff Bezos and leadershipWe have already won in so many ways and ultimately this request is what’s required for all companies. I am hopeful to see Amazon lead that path forward soon, rather than paying the consequences of waiting too long to commit to zero emissions.
Rebecca Shepherd, Amazon Product Manager
It’s disappointing that he couldn’t let us ask the question and look us in the eye directly.
Emily Cunningham
I feel like we’ve won in so many ways already. It was because of our pressure that Amazon said it will announce its carbon footprint for the first time. We really set the model for the kind of leadership that employees can take with their employers—because it’s going to take every one of us to face the climate crisis.
I dunno, just seems kinda odd for a company named for a part of the ecosystem so integral to the planet. But maybe that’s just me.
Source: Gizmodo
About Author
