By Maitane Sardon

Amazon Inc. said Wednesday that German consumer-goods company Henkel AG and Dutch lighting company Signify N.V. have joined its Climate Pledge initiative and will work toward decarbonizing their businesses.

Amazon last year co-founded the Climate Pledge initiative to reach "net-zero" carbon emissions by 2040. It said thirteen organizations have signed the pledge to share best practices, sending a signal that there will be rapid growth in demand for products and services that help reduce carbon emissions.

Amazon said the signatories to the pledge agree to take the necessary steps to bring their carbon emissions to net-zero over the next twenty years by introducing changes in their businesses. These changes can include energy efficiency improvements or the use of renewable energy. It also said the signatories agree to measure and report their emissions on a regular basis.

"By signing The Climate Pledge, companies around the world are taking collective action to protect our planet from the catastrophic impacts of climate change," Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said in prepared remarks.

Henkel said the climate pledge is in line with its goal of becoming climate-positive by 2040 by removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits. The company said it plans to reduce the carbon footprint of its production by 75% by 2030 and to only use renewable energy to power its operations by 2030.

Signify said it has achieved this year its goal of having carbon neutral operations and that it plans to "double its positive impact on the environment and society" over the next five years.

Write to Maitane Sardon at maitane.sardon@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

11-18-20 0902ET