A group of Amazon employees in Seattle staged a walkout on Monday to protest the company’s lack of progress on climate goals and return-to-office mandates. The workers chanted their disappointment with Amazon’s carbon footprint and urged the company to give more work location authority to team leaders.
Amazon relies heavily on fossil fuels to power its transportation, leading to a massive carbon footprint. Despite the company’s pledge to reduce its carbon footprint, employees argue that Amazon has not done enough to reach its goal of zero emissions.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently made the decision to return corporate employees to the office three days a week, but over 20,000 workers signed a petition urging the company to reconsider. The workers are concerned about the impact of returning to the office on the environment and their health and safety.
The walkout follows layoffs in various departments at Amazon, including advertising, human resources, and cloud computing. Some Amazon workers feel pushed out of the company and are worried about job security and their ability to work remotely.
The group demanded that Amazon commit to zero emissions by 2030 and prioritize worker health and safety. The workers also urged the company to give team leaders more authority over work location and to reconsider its return-to-office mandates.
This is not the first time that Amazon workers have protested the company’s climate goals and return-to-office mandates. In April, workers in several countries staged a walkout to demand better working conditions and climate action.
Amazon is one of the world’s largest companies, and its carbon footprint has a significant impact on the environment. The company has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, but workers are pushing for more immediate action. Amazon has not yet responded to the latest protest.
