Seattle Amazon Fresh store becomes 1st to achieve Zero Carbon Certification

An Amazon Fresh grocery store in Seattle has received Zero Carbon Certification status from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), making it the first grocery store to achieve the designation, the retailer announced Thursday.

The online retail giant said ILFI is also evaluating four other Amazon brick-and-mortar locations—three Amazon Go stores in metro Los Angeles and an Amazon Same-Day site in Sacramento—for possible certification. Amazon’s Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is also being considered for the designation.  

The 35,000-square-foot Seattle grocery store, built in 2022, features a natural-refrigerant-based refrigeration system, electric kitchen and hot water heating systems, electric-vehicle charging stations and low-carbon concrete floors.  

Amazon noted it has saved more than 100 tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) since opening.  

“I couldn’t be prouder of the team and everyone involved in this achievement,” said Tony Hoggett, senior vice president of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, in a statement. “At Amazon, we’re building a best-in-class grocery shopping experience, and part of that is bringing customers more sustainable options across our stores. Enacting initiatives that support Amazon’s commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040, like the Zero Carbon Certification, are a win for our planet.” 

The ILFI certification followed a 12-month review of the location, during which time the international organization reviewed the store’s “combustion-free systems, reductions in operational and embodied carbon impacts of a building, and measured achievement through demonstrated data.” 

“We’re thrilled to see this leadership from Amazon,” said Lindsay Baker, CEO of ILFI, in a statement. “A grocery store showing how to be accountable for all its carbon—from construction and materials to operations—is impactful from both a customer and industry perspective.” 

The company’s work on making the store carbon neutral is part of its “Climate Pledge” to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. 

“It’s important that large companies like Amazon stimulate investment in the development of green technologies and low-carbon products and services that will be required to help companies of all sizes decarbonize their operations ... While we are a big company, we cannot do this alone,” the company said in 2021.