- Amazon has expanded its carbon credit service to the UK, its first international market outside the United States.
- Eligible companies must have a net-zero target by 2050 or earlier, covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
- The service gives UK firms access to vetted carbon credits, lower-carbon fuel insets, and supply-chain climate solutions.
Amazon Brings Carbon Credit Access to UK Firms
Amazon has opened its carbon credit service to qualified UK companies, giving businesses with net-zero targets access to vetted climate credits and supply-chain decarbonisation tools.
The expansion is the first outside the United States, where the service launched in March 2025. It comes as UK companies face rising pressure to prove that climate claims are backed by credible action.
The service is available through Amazon’s Sustainability Exchange. It is aimed at companies that are already cutting emissions and want to address what remains.
Even ambitious companies struggle to eliminate every tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. Residual emissions can remain after switching to carbon-free energy, electrifying fleets, and redesigning supply chains.
Carbon neutralisation addresses those residual emissions by funding projects that avoid or remove greenhouse gases. Insetting takes a different route. It reduces emissions inside the value chain by replacing high-carbon inputs with lower-carbon alternatives.
For executives, the distinction matters. Carbon credits are facing closer scrutiny from investors, regulators, and customers. Companies now need to show that credits support real climate benefits, not weaker transition plans.
Quality Concerns Drive Demand for Vetting
The voluntary carbon market has grown into a multi-billion-dollar sector. Yet its credibility has been challenged by concerns over weak baselines, poor transparency, and overstated climate outcomes.
That has made quality assurance a governance issue. Boards and sustainability teams must now assess reputational risk alongside carbon accounting benefits.
“The voluntary carbon market has struggled with transparency and quality, making it hard for companies to invest with confidence,” said Kara Hurst, chief sustainability officer at Amazon. “But the science is clear: we need to protect forests, restore ecosystems, and remove carbon at scale. We’re using our size and technical expertise to make high-quality credits available to ambitious UK companies already doing the hard work of cutting their own emissions and wanting to go further.”
Amazon said it rigorously vets every project in its portfolio. Only a small fraction of voluntary carbon market credits meet its quality standards.
The company also manages multi-year purchase agreements and takes on buyer-side risk. It provides support for retirement tracking and reporting, which are essential for auditability and disclosure.
UK Companies Gain Access to Neutralisation and Insets
Eligible UK companies must have a net-zero target for no later than 2050. That target must cover Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions.
Companies must also measure and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis. Amazon said these requirements are designed to ensure that credits complement direct emissions cuts, rather than replace them.
Several UK-based organisations are among the first to use the service internationally. They include Aether Compliance, BizClik Media, Co-op Live, euNetworks, Moss UK, and Winston Taylor LLP.
Sara Tomkins, Sustainability Director at Co-op Live, said: “Amazon’s carbon credit service shares Co-op Live’s drive for innovation in sustainability, and through high-quality, nature-based credits will help us deliver further on our commitment to net zero.”
UK participants will be able to access neutralisation credits and supply-chain solutions. These include forest protection, ecosystem restoration, direct air capture, methane reduction, refrigerant destruction, and lower-carbon fuel insets.
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The forest protection credits include jurisdictional-scale programmes in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. These programmes work with local communities to keep forests standing instead of clearing them.
Amazon said proceeds support agroforestry and community priorities. These include clean drinking water and maternity wards.
Jurisdictional approaches are viewed as more robust than many project-by-project models. They use government policy to address deforestation drivers across entire landscapes.
Climate Pledge Links Credits to Broader Transition Plans
Amazon is also offering Climate Pledge signatories exclusive discounts on credits. The Climate Pledge commits companies to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.
The move extends Amazon’s role in voluntary climate infrastructure. It also places the company deeper into the market for carbon credit access, screening, and reporting support.
Amazon said the service builds on its own climate work. This includes shifting toward carbon-free energy, electrifying its delivery fleet, and improving efficiency in buildings and data centres.
In 2024, Amazon launched the Sustainability Exchange. The platform gives companies access to practical resources, playbooks, and decarbonisation guidance.
For UK executives, the service offers a way to engage the voluntary carbon market with more structure. It also raises the bar for how companies justify credit use.
For investors, the key test will be whether credits are linked to credible transition planning. That means clear emissions reporting, science-aligned targets, and evidence that operational reductions remain the priority.
Amazon’s UK expansion arrives as companies face a harder climate disclosure environment. Carbon credits are not a substitute for decarbonisation. Used well, they can help close the gap between today’s emissions and long-term net-zero commitments.
The broader significance is global. As voluntary carbon markets mature, buyers will face greater pressure to prove quality, traceability, and impact. Amazon is betting that companies will pay for that confidence.
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