Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon and the richest man in the world, will allocate $ 10 billion to a new fund to address global climate change, the Bezos Earth Fund. It was announced on Monday by the e-commerce mogul in a post addressed to his 1.4 million followers on Instagram.
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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. Commit 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 shared post by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos) on Feb 17, 2020 at 10:00 PST
The new foundation, he explained through the social network, will finance scientists, activists, NGOs and “any effort that offers a real chance to help preserve and protect the natural world.” Scholarships will be awarded starting next summer.
"Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet," said Bezos, whose net worth is estimated at around $ 130 billion.
"I want to work alongside others to amplify known ways and explore new ways to combat the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share," he added.
Last September, Bezos announced that Amazon would commit to becoming a carbon neutral company by 2030 and that it would order 100,000 electric delivery trucks.
On the Forbes list of philanthropists, the tycoon's organization, Bezos Day One Fund, occupies the second position behind Bill and Melinda Gates. Last November, the businessman announced the donation of 98.5 million dollars (about 90 million euros) to 32 organizations that help homeless families.