In honor of Earth Month, American Express announced new initiatives to support low-carbon communities, including the expansion of its Carbon Footprint Tool for select Corporate clients and a digital pilot to help U.S. Consumer and Small Business Card Members understand their estimated carbon footprint. The company is also bringing back “Shop with Purpose” Amex Offers for eligible Card Members during Earth Month and continues to provide Green2Gether volunteer activities for colleagues.

American Express has also submitted near-term and long-term emissions reductions targets to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for validation by year end as part of the company’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2035 in alignment with the SBTi.

“This Earth Month, we’re introducing new digital solutions that enable our U.S. Consumer and Small Business Card Members and select Corporate clients to better understand their estimated carbon footprints and work towards a low-carbon future,” said Madge Thomas, Head of Corporate Sustainability and President of American Express Foundation. “These initiatives build on our commitment to advance climate solutions for our colleagues, customers and communities.”

Expanded Carbon Offerings for Corporate Clients
American Express’ Carbon Footprint Tool has expanded to include additional categories of spend for select Corporate clients so that they can track estimated carbon emissions associated with spend across air travel, ground transportation, hotel stays, food and beverage, and retail. The Carbon Footprint Tool applies conversion factors and standards from various governmental and private organizations to a company’s spend on its American Express Corporate Product Program. The Tool can be accessed when clients log in to Commercial Insights, a suite of tools offered to American Express’ largest Corporate clients.

The Carbon Footprint Tool joins the Corporate Carbon Offset Referral Suite, which provides U.S. Corporate clients with a list of carbon offset providers curated by American Express.  Participating companies may elect to work with such provider(s) to purchase carbon offsets through investments in large-scale carbon projects, which can help them manage their estimated carbon footprint.

See related article: American Express Releases 2022 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report

A New Pilot Experience for Card Members
To help eligible U.S. Consumer and Small Business Card Members better understand their environmental impact and contribute to carbon removal efforts, American Express has launched a pilot digital suite that offers the following tools:

• Amex Estimated Carbon Emissions Tracker: Developed in collaboration with the CoolClimate Network at University of California, Berkeley, the tool analyzes the spend made on an eligible American Express Card and estimates carbon emissions associated with those purchases.
• Contribution Services for Carbon Removal Projects: Eligible U.S. Card Members can set up automatic monthly contributions from $5 to $100 a month [4] via program partner Cloverly. These contributions are used to support a portfolio of carbon removal projects that also support local communities, which have been selected with the help of our program partner Carbon Direct.
• Carbon Reduction Insights: Tips and advice from Carbon Direct for informational purposes are available to Card Members to learn about ways to reduce the carbon impact of their day-to-day activities.

Shop with Purpose Amex Offers
For the second year in a row, American Express will have a selection of “Shop with Purpose” Amex Offers available throughout Earth Month to eligible U.S. Consumer and Small Business Card Members. These Offers reward spending on eligible purchases from select Certified B Corporations™, such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Hive Brands, and Climate Neutral Certified companies like Avocado Mattress and Parachute.

Engaging Colleagues for Earth Month
As part of the company’s Green2Gether program, American Express colleagues all over the world can volunteer and participate in colleague-led sustainability initiatives this month. Activities include volunteering with nonprofit partners, waste, and energy reduction efforts, and healthy food initiatives. Last month, colleagues from our Phoenix office volunteered with nonprofit partners to plant 45 trees at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area to increase tree canopy and help their city build resilience to climate-related events.

In addition, the company will offer a second series of the Climate Change Master Class, co-hosted with Earthwatch. The four-part, interactive series is voluntary and will be available virtually to all colleagues globally. The classes, led by Earthwatch scientists, will provide insights into the impacts of climate change and the actions participants can take to reduce its effects on their personal lives.