Amazon founder Jeff Bezos mentioned Monday that he plans to spend $10 billion US of his personal fortune to assist battle climate change.
Bezos, the world’s richest man, mentioned in an Instagram publish that he’ll begin giving grants this summer time to scientists, activists and non-profits working to defend Earth.
“I would like to work alongside others each to amplify recognized methods and to discover new methods of fighting the devastating affect of climate change,” Bezos mentioned within the publish.
Amazon, the corporate Bezos runs, has an infinite carbon footprint. Last yr, Amazon officers mentioned the corporate would work to have 100 per cent of its vitality use come from photo voltaic panels and different renewable vitality by 2030.
The on-line retailer depends on fossil fuels to energy planes, vans and vans so as to ship billions of gadgets all world wide. Amazon employees in its Seattle headquarters have been vocal in criticizing some of the corporate’s practices, pushing it to do extra to fight climate change.
Bezos mentioned within the publish Monday that he’ll name his new initiative the Bezos Earth Fund. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed that Bezos will likely be utilizing his personal money for the fund.
Despite being among the many richest individuals on the planet, Bezos solely not too long ago turned energetic in donating money to causes as different billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have carried out. In 2018, Bezos began one other fund, committing $2 billion of his personal money to open preschools in low-income neighbourhoods and provides money to non-profits that assist homeless households.
Bezos, who based Amazon 25 years in the past, has a stake within the firm that’s price greater than $100 billion.
