--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: Where Sustainability Meets Speed with Amazon's Chief Sustainability Officer, Kara Hurst image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Where Sustainability Meets Speed with Amazon's Chief Sustainability Officer, Kara Hurst In a recent conversation with TIME's Chief Climate Officer, Shyla Ragav, Amazon’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Kara Hurst, opened up about the company’s commitment to sustainability and climate action. Recently named to the inaugural TIME100 Climate List, Hurst has played a major role in driving Amazon’s ambitious goals, especially through The Climate Pledge – a commitment the company co-founded with the aim of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. With over 525 companies now part of The Climate Pledge–which just celebrated its fifth anniversary–Amazon is working hard to decarbonize its operations and share its lessons with others. The focus isn't just on what’s working, but also on what isn't, as companies come together to move faster and make a bigger collective impact. Amazon’s commitment to renewable energy has made the company the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world for the past four years. The company has already met its 100% renewable energy goal seven years early and continues to invest in new technologies to further reduce its carbon footprint. "All of our sustainability work at Amazon is really led by science and we wanted to go faster. \[We know\] that in the role of the private sector, companies can send big demand signals." Hurst points out, "We've been the world's largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy. We've transformed our transportation. We have over 24,000 electric vehicles on the road already." Often asked how Amazon manages to incorporate sustainability across such a massive and diverse business, Hurst stresses that it’s about making it part of how the company runs every single day. And contrary to the common belief that climate action is costly, Hurst shares that many sustainability initiatives can actually save money. The company has eliminated 95% of plastic air pillows in North America​ and is redesigning products like Kindles and Echo devices to be more energy-efficient. This not only cuts costs, but improves the customer experience, proving that sustainability can be good for business, too. "I think one of the misperceptions is that speed is necessarily bad for the environment," Hurst says. "One of the things that we do is place product really close to the customer. \[That means that product\] isn't going on an airplane and isn't being shipped from far away. It's regionalized. So many, many times, our lowest carbon option \[can also be your quickest delivery\]." Hurst is proud of the progress Amazon has made, yet acknowledges there’s still a long way to go. The company is investing in early-stage technologies through its $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund, with the belief that innovation is the key to reaching such ambitious goals. Above all, "sustainability is collaborative."  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