International Affairs Correspondent Sofia Chirico discusses Amazon’s commitment to sustainability across Europe

By Sofia Chirico | Jan 28 2025

Online retail giant Amazon has announced their acquisition of a new fleet of 200 electric heavy trucks, as part of their Climate Pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions over the next 15 years. 

Jeff Bezos’ company has outlined plans to implement effective changes regarding sustainability. In 2024, Amazon introduced the use of cargo e-bikes to reduce carbon emissions in over 40 cities, including major European capitals such as London, Berlin, and Paris. 

Marschner also revealed that by the end of 2025, Amazon is planning to add 10,000 all-electric delivery vans to its already vast fleet. 

At the beginning of 2025, Amazon announced the acquisition of its new trucks, highlighting that once operational, they will transport over 350 million packages each year. To optimise the utilisation of the vehicles, Amazon has also invested in 360kW charging zones which will be installed at company facilities as well as at external locations. These chargers will play a crucial role in the new all-electric transport and delivery initiatives. 

According to Amazon’s Vice President of Worldwide Operations Sustainability, Andreas Marschner, these trucks will operate between England and Germany. However, he stressed that this marks just the beginning of a broader scheme that sees Amazon using electric trucks all over Europe. Marschner also revealed that by the end of 2025, Amazon is planning to add 10,000 all-electric delivery vans to its already vast fleet. 

What about Ireland? 

Since the opening of their facilities, which employs 6,500 people from Cork all the way to Drogheda, Amazon has continued to expand. This year is going to bring new realms for Irish online retail customers, as Amazon.ie will officially be launched in Ireland. In previous years, Irish customers had to rely primarily on Amazon UK. However, especially after Brexit, many experienced increased delivery fees and longer shipping times. With the new dedicated Irish website launching this year, this will no longer be an issue, as prices will be in Euro and customs charges will be eliminated. 

Ultimately, Amazon appears to be heading in an innovative direction at both national and European levels. With its new Irish website launching this year and its commitment to sustainability, Amazon is setting a standard for other major shipping and retail companies across the world.