‘We can save Earth’: Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to fight climate change

NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced on Monday that he plans on spending $10 billion of his own fortune to help fight climate change.

Bezos, the world’s richest man, stated in a post on Instagram that this summer he will start providing grants to scientists, activists, and nonprofits working to protect the Earth.

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“I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change,” Bezos said in the post.

Amazon has an gigantic carbon footprint. Last year, Amazon officials stated the company would work to have 100% of its energy use to come from solar panels and other renewable energy by 2030.

The online retailer relies on fossil fuels to power planes, trucks, and vans in order to ship billions of items all around the world. Amazon workers in their Seattle headquarters has been voicing their opinions and criticizing some of the company’s practices, urging them to take more actions towards climate change.

Bezos also announced in the post the launching of his new initiative the Bezos Earth Fund. A spokesperson from Amazon confirmed that Bezos will be using his own money for the fund.

Aside from being one of the richest people in the world, Bezos recently became active in donating money to causes similar to how Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have done. Back in 2018, Bezos started another fund, committing $2 million of his own money to open preschools in low-income neighborhoods. As well as, give money to nonprofits that help homeless families.

Bezos founded Amazon 25 years ago and has a stake in the company that is worth more than $100 billion.