Amazon's Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to battle climate change

The Bezos Earth Fund will try to safeguard the world from the effects of climate change

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and billionaire recently announced that he will commit $10 billion to counter the impact of climate change.

He posted on his Instagram handle that the Bezos Earth Fund will fund “any effort that offers a real possibility" in order to safeguard the world from the effects of climate change.

 

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Today, I’m thrilled to announce I am launching the Bezos Earth Fund.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share. This global initiative will fund scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world. We can save Earth. It’s going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organizations, and individuals. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I’m committing $10 billion to start and will begin issuing grants this summer. Earth is the one thing we all have in common — let’s protect it, together.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ - Jeff

A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos) on Feb 17, 2020 at 10:00am PST

"Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet," wrote Bezos in his post.

"I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share."

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This is not the first time that the billionaire has promoted the climate initiatives; previously he has sponsored a network of wind and solar farms as part of a long-term goal of powering its global infrastructure with 100% renewable energy.

However, the funding comes shortly after the news broke that 350 Amazon employees violated their employer’s communication policy after they were threatened to be fired by the company for speaking up for climate activism.

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"Amazon took a bold step when it announced the Climate Pledge, committing the company to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement 10 years early, and we're incredibly excited about the Bezos Earth Fund," said an Amazon spokesperson.

"Jeff's passion and this extraordinary personal contribution to the fight against climate change are going to have a huge impact."

In order to reach the carbon-neutral goal, he has announced a new $100 million reforestation effort and a new order for 100,000 electric delivery vans to move away from diesel vehicles.

The company also plans to power its global infrastructure with 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% by 2030 — up from the 40% renewable energy it uses today.

This article originally published on Cnet.