Amazon revealed that it has grown its use of rail and sea transportation by 50% in 2023 in Europe, resulting in significant reductions in carbon emissions, as well as speeding up customer deliveries and inventory transfers, according to the company.

Amazon has set a goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 across its value chain. Scope 3 emissions, or those originating in the company’s value chain outside of its direct control, account for over three quarters of Amazon’s emissions footprint. In the company’s recently released sustainability report, Amazon revealed that it succeeded in reducing its Scope 3 emissions by 0.7% in 2022 despite growing revenues by 9%, with emissions cuts driven by areas including building construction, leased buildings and equipment and third-party transportation.

According to Amazon, using a rail or sea route to transport packages or inventory helps the company reduce carbon emissions by almost 50% The company said that it now distribute products via more than 100 rail lanes and more than 300 sea routes built on partnerships with European rail and sea carriers including Cargo Beamer, VIIa, the Mercitalia Group, Grimaldi, Stena Line, DFDS, and others.

The company said that in order to move flexibly between different transportation modes, it uses trailers that can be easily transferred between ships, freight trains and trucks. On routes that combine sea and rail with road transport, Amazon said that it also plans routes so that trailers travel the longest distances by rail or sea.

In a blog post announcing its use of rail and sea transport, Amazon said:

“In 2023, like the year before, we will transfer thousands of truckloads between our buildings by sea and rail in Europe, saving thousands of tons of CO₂ emissions.”