Today’s shoppers are eager for more responsible shopping choices. PwC research found that 80% of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. To meet this demand, Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) is making it easier than ever for shoppers to purchase eco-conscious products.
Curious about CPF certification? Find out more by completing a quick 30-second assessment.
Launched in 2020 as an extension of The Climate Pledge1 — co-founded by Amazon — CPF helps consumers discover products that meet trusted sustainability standards. It also supports brands that want to showcase their environmental commitment. CPF now offers more than 1.4 million certified products across Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Japan — a 157% increase from 2022. Through this program, Amazon signals a broader commitment: to make shopping sustainably simpler and more transparent for everyone.
“Climate Pledge Friendly is a simple way for customers to discover more sustainable products that help preserve the natural world. With [this program], we’re incentivizing selling partners to create sustainable products that help protect the planet for future generations.”
Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO at Amazon
What is Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly?
Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) program is designed to make sustainable shopping easier and more intuitive. In addition to highlighting products with a green leaf “sustainability feature” badge, the program actively guides consumers toward more environmentally responsible choices. It does this by strategically placing these products across the shopping experience — including search results, curated carousels, and product detail pages.
To participate, products must satisfy one or more of 50+ third-party certifications or Amazon’s own high-bar programs, such as Compact by Design or Pre-owned Certified. These standards span a wide range of environmental priorities — from ingredient safety and emissions reduction to circular economy practices.
By embedding sustainability cues throughout the buying journey and spotlighting certified products in high-visibility areas, CPF empowers shoppers to make lower-impact purchases without compromising on quality or convenience.
Certain products, such as aerosols, beef, or plastic bottled water, are not eligible to participate in the program.
Kick off your CPF certification journey today.
What sets Amazon CPF apart
While many retailer programs limit themselves to banned or restricted ingredients, CPF takes a broader approach — encompassing everything from innovative packaging designs to ethically sourced materials. In doing so, it helps both brands and shoppers adopt clearer, more holistic sustainability practices. Here’s how:
- Proven sales boost: Brands displaying the badge typically see a 12.5% lift in sales and a 10% spike in page views thanks to 20+ discovery features that drive customer awareness.
- Comprehensive certification network: Instead of relying on a single standard, CPF supports over 50 recognized certifications — from reducing carbon emissions and waste to guaranteeing safe ingredients and ethical sourcing.
- Innovative in-house certifications: Amazon’s Compact by Design rewards smaller, more shipping-efficient packaging, while Pre-owned Certified extends the life of refurbished products, lowering electronic waste.
- Prominent badging and discoverability: Qualifying items carry a green leaf icon in search results and product listings, backed by additional filters and recommendation placements. Altogether, there are 22 product discovery features that help brands stand out to eco-minded shoppers.
- Growing impact: In 2023 alone, 1.16 billion CPF-certified products were purchased — a 42% year-over-year jump — and 37.6 million shoppers switched to more planet-friendly options.
By weaving sustainability into every step of the buying process — rather than focusing solely on banned ingredients — CPF offers brands and consumers an accessible path to eco-conscious choices.
Why was Climate Pledge Friendly started? Origins and purpose
In 2019, Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge to rally leading companies around climate action. Signatories commit to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 — ten years before the Paris Agreement deadline. A year later, Amazon launched CPF to put this pledge into action by providing consumers with better tools to make sustainable purchases. Ultimately, the CPF program is a practical extension of The Climate Pledge, translating Amazon’s sustainability commitments into actionable choices for shoppers.
The Climate Pledge Friendly initiative supports Amazon’s commitment to reach the Paris Agreement ten years early and be net zero carbon by 2040. [It will] make it easier for customers to access product choices that align with our commitment to a more sustainable future.
Amazon
Who is the program for? Who benefits from CPF?
For consumers, CPF takes the guesswork out of deciding whether a product aligns with their values. For brands and sellers, it’s an avenue to stand out in one of the world’s largest marketplaces, appealing to an ever-increasing base of sustainability-minded customers.
A recent study notes that products adopted into CPF average a 13.3% increase in gross merchandise sales (GMS) and 12.5% higher sales revenue in the 12 weeks following certification. The effect is even more dramatic for consumables (beauty, personal care, groceries, etc.) – products in this category achieved 24.7% higher sales.
How does Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly work?
How it works for shoppers
For consumers and business customers, CPF makes sustainable shopping easy:
- CPF leaf badges appear on product pages, search results, and recommendations.
- Shoppers can easily find certified items by clicking the “Sustainability Features” checkbox to filter search results.
- Each product page clearly details the item's sustainability certifications and benefits.
- Customers can also filter by sustainability features directly through dedicated storefronts, special shopping collections, and Amazon Business accounts.
How it works for brands and sellers
For brands, achieving CPF badging involves certification through recognized standards such as Fairtrade, Made Safe, or EWG. That process can be complex, but Amazon’s exclusive tech partner, Novi, simplifies it. By streamlining data collection and compliance workflows, Novi helps brands secure CPF certification in as little as 6–12 weeks — far faster than traditional methods. Here are the key steps:
- Assess: Pick the right certification for your product’s industry, materials, and sustainable features. The optimal certification depends on what you sell. Food companies often choose USDA Organic or Fairtrade International, while household product brands might look at EPA Safer Choice, EU Ecolabel, or EWG Verified.
- Apply: Apply to third-party certifiers or Amazon's own certifications. Novi expedites this process with personalized workflows, real-time reporting dashboards, and direct integrations with the certification bodies.
- Verify: Get your products tested against certification standards, if applicable.
- List: Publish the product listing via the usual method, such as Amazon Seller Central or Vendor Central. Ensure the product title, description, and identifiers like UPC, GTIN, and brand name exactly match what the certifier has on file. Mismatches are one of the top reasons CPF badges don’t appear.
- Confirm: Once Amazon verifies the certification status through its internal systems or via the certifier, the Climate Pledge Friendly badge will be added to the product listing automatically. If the badge hasn’t appeared within 2-4 weeks after achieving certification, you can open a case via Seller Central to have Amazon manually verify and update your listing.
Ready to learn more? Complete our brief assessment to begin your CPF certification.
Accelerate Amazon CPF Certification with Novi
Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program bridges the gap between consumer demand for sustainability and brands that are environmental leaders. By rewarding transparency and eco-conscious products with better visibility and search ranking, CPF cultivates a marketplace that favors more responsible goods. More than just another green label, it’s a powerful tool — transforming everyday shopping into a catalyst for real impact.
For brands keen to capitalize on the CPF advantage, Novi offers unparalleled support. As Amazon’s exclusive technology partner for CPF certification, Novi significantly simplifies and speeds up the process through automated workflows and strategic guidance. With Novi, brands can effortlessly identify eligible products, choose optimal certifications, and seamlessly manage CPF certification to unlock increased visibility and sales quickly.
To learn more or begin your CPF certification journey, complete a 30-second assessment today.
1 The Climate Pledge is a cross-industry initiative co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, urging companies to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 — ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement goal. Signatories commit to tracking emissions, reducing them through real business changes, and offsetting any remaining footprint with verified carbon removal efforts.
Credo’s SPG is outlined in four phases, of which the first two are actively in progress. As of June 2021, Credo has eliminated the use of single-use packaging for all products by their 130+ brand partners. Phase 2 calls for better materials, and the deadline to meet these requirements is June 1, 2024.
- No single-use items (masks, wipes, sample packettes, etc.)
- No PVC (#3 plastic), BPA/BPS, or PFAs
- Petroleum-derived plastic must contain 50% or greater recycled content, OR be replaced by a more sustainable material
- All plastics must be identified by an RIC (#1, 2, 4, 5, 6, or 7) or abbreviation (e.g. PET, PP, Mixed).
- All paper products must be at least one of the following: Ancient Forest Friendly; FSC certified paper; 75%+ recycled paper (by weight); Tree free, or non-wood fiber grown and harvested in a sustainable manner
Grove Collaborative applies their packaging standards to all products on their site, and they strive to utilize the best available packaging solutions at the time.
- No single use plastic
- About 80% or more of the packaging weight is not plastic (a percentage which will rise over time)
- Refillable over recyclable
- Monomaterial components
- #1, #2, and #5 plastics, if plastic is absolutely necessary
- Lightweight candidates
- The highest percentage of PCR possible for components of any material
Additionally, Grove Co. is currently working on a pilot initiative, Beyond Plastic, which aims to be 100% plastic-free by 2025. Here are its definitions, which incorporate some of the general standards listed above:
- Primary packaging is not plastic (excluding coatings, lacquers and liners)
- No single use external plastic packaging or wrap
- ~ 80%+ of the product and packaging weight is not plastic
- For the remaining ~20% plastic, there should be no readily available alternatives or the remaining volume should be in the process of being phased out within a year, maximum.
- 20% plastic is not in perpetuity, just as a starting point. The goal remains to be effectively plastic free by the end of 2025.
- Use of plastic cannot negatively impact recyclability
Lastly, Grove also offers a mail-back collection service for plastic packaging, pouches, and tubes. See more details in their FAQ.
Target’s sustainability strategy, Target Forward, incorporates packaging requirements that can be best summarized in three major points: eliminate/reduce where possible, drive a circular market, and encourage good habits. By 2025, Target intends to have 100% of their owned brand plastic packaging be recyclable, compostable or reusable. On March 2022, Target announced their Target Zero program, which designates products that feature packaging under the specific guidelines.
- No PVC (#3), PVDC, or PS (#6)
- Products must be curbside recyclable (#1 and #2 plastics)
- Petroleum-derived plastic must contain 50% or greater recycled content, OR be30% or more of packaging must be made from PCR materials replaced by a more sustainable material
- Refillable
- Reusable
- Certified compostable elements
- Certified compostable elements
Ulta Beauty’s Conscious Beauty policy provides guidelines for product formulations as well as packaging.
- Made from 50% PCR or PIR materials, or
- Made from 50% bio-based materials, or
- Be recyclable, or
- Be refillable.
Certifying bodies and other available resources
Many retailers incorporate other third-party certifications in their own packaging standards; brands and suppliers may pursue these certifications as well, depending on the policy. While they can be costly, third-party policies can provide further credibility for any environmental claims made.
In addition to policies, there are numerous resources available for sourcing, disposal, and further education on packaging.
The Ancient Forest Friendly™ designation by Canopy represents “the highest ecological qualities in the paper industry.” Ancient Forest Friendly pulp and paper is free of ancient or endangered forest fiber, made with 100% recycled or straw paper, and is whitened without chlorine.
BPI is a science-driven organization that supports a shift to the circular economy by promoting the production, use, and appropriate end of lives for materials and products that are designed to fully biodegrade in specific biologically active environments.
Their certification mark indicates third-party verification of compostability for manufacturers and brands to use on products and packaging.
Ecocert provides certification for 150+ standards in numerous industries, including cosmetics. Some of their most popular certifications include USDA Organic, Fair Trade (FFL), and Cosmos Organic.
See Ecocert’s full list of certifications.
FSC certification ensures that products (usually paper, cardboard, wood, etc.) come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. They own three registered trademarks:
• The initials FSC®
• The name Forest Stewardship Council®
• The checkmark-and-tree logo figure
How2Recycle (H2R) is a standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public.
Novi’s packaging solutions
Sourcing new components can be difficult, especially when it comes to verifying numerous claims. At Novi, our packaging experts will help you source, sample, and order verified components– whether you’re looking for something that’s compostable, curbside recyclable, 75% PCR, or more.
Pact is a nonprofit collective committed to action and education surrounding beauty recycling. They offer in-store drop-off and mail back collection programs for hard-to-recycle beauty packaging, and share other information on packaging production, material claims, recycling rates, and more.
