September 23, 2020
In the Media

MIT Sustainable Supply Chains Director Alexis Bateman was interviewed by the Seattle Times:

“Some of the language is a little bit deceiving,” said Alexis Bateman, director of the MIT Sustainable Supply Chains Initiative. “Not to minimize the value of animal welfare, fair trade or fair wages,” but these attributes don’t necessarily have a direct impact on reducing emissions.

“That said, the fact that Amazon is doing anything in this space is just awesome, because when Amazon acts, then the pressure will be diffused across every actor that sells on their platform and is in competition with them, the biggest retailers and e-tailers of the world,” Bateman added. [...]

Bateman said Amazon has clear financial incentives to shrink the size of the goods that flow through its warehouses and delivery network, saving space on racks and in trucks. And while such standards are typically set and managed by third parties — as is the case with the other 18 tied to the new labeling — Amazon, with its immense power over suppliers, “might drive higher adoption” by using its own standard, she said.