World’s Richest Man Jeff Bezos Donates $10bn To Help Fight Climate Change

The World’s richest man and founder of Amazon Jeff Bezos say he will committing $10 billion (N3.6Trn) to help fight climate change.Jeff Bezos

The Amazon chief, who is the world’s richest man, said the cash would fund scientists, activists and charities fighting to protect the environment.

Bezos said climate change is the “biggest threat to our planet” as he announced what he called the “Bezos Earth Fund” on Monday.

“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,” Bezos said in an Instagram post.

Bezos is among a growing list of billionaires to dedicate substantial funds to battle the impact of global warming.

The Bezos Earth Fund will begin issuing grants this summer as part of the initiative.

“It’s going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organizations, and individuals,” Bezos said.

Counteracting climate change has become a popular cause for US billionaires in recent years.

Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and hedge fund manager Tom Steyer are counted among the world’s wealthiest environmental philanthropists.

He also said at the time that Amazon would meet the goals of the Paris climate accord 10 years ahead of the accord’s schedule and invest $100 million to restore forests and wetlands.

The e-commerce company delivers 10 billion items a year, has a massive transportation and data centre footprint, and has faced criticism from within its own workforce.

 

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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

Photo Credit: Getty

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