A new campaign is urging millions of Christians in the UK to shop ethically, avoid Amazon over its tax practices and support global efforts to reform rules governing large corporations.
JustMoney Movement, an education and campaigning charity working across UK churches, is behind the campaign Challenge Amazon: Break the Habit, Fix the Rules. It is urging tens of thousands of members, nearly 40,000 churches and millions of Christians across the UK to vote with their wallets by moving their shopping away from the global online retailer and towards more ethical alternatives wherever possible.
Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer, holding around 30 per cent of the global market share. But it has faced accusations of avoiding billions in taxes worldwide, including an estimated £2bn in the UK over the past five years - claims the company denies.
The company has also faced criticism over its record on workers’ rights and environmental practices.
Sarah Edwards, executive director of JustMoney Movement, told Premier the campaign had been timed to coincide with Amazon’s UK AGM (annual general meeting):
“It’s where they come together to present some of their business news to their shareholders, and we think it's a really good opportunity to say, actually, Amazon as a company is reflective of some of the things that are wrong with our economic model.
"As Christians and churches, we should be thinking about the way that we shop, the way that we spend money, in line with our faith, in ways that can love our neighbour and care for creation.
"We’re really concerned that research has shown that Amazon's tax behaviour, in particular, is really poor and it’s aggressively underpaying tax to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds a year. That’s money that could be spent on public services and the problems that we're facing in terms of our cost of living.”
Describing the global economy as “broken”, Edwards said it was driving wealth inequality, worsening the climate crisis, and widening the gap between rich and poor, adding that “the money we spend too often goes to large companies like Amazon that make excessive untaxed profits at the expense of local communities, low-paid workers, and the environment".
As part of the Challenge Amazon campaign, JustMoney Movement is providing campaign packs to thousands of supporters and local church leaders, offering ethical shopping information, ideas for local campaigning, and communication tools.
The charity is also launching an online pledge to encourage people to “break the habit” and shop more sustainably. It will also launch a write-to-your-MP tool, calling for support for international efforts to address the harmful impact of large corporations and advance global economic justice through initiatives such as the UN Tax Convention.
Sarah Edwards added: “We must urgently rethink how our economy works and what we value, and as Christians, we can play an active role as part of a wider global movement in driving lasting change.”
Premier Christian News has contacted Amazon for comment.