Amazon chief executive officer (CEO) Jeff Bezos has pledged $10 billion to help fight climate change in an Instagram post.
Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world and CEO of e-commerce giant Amazon, pledged to donate $10 billion in efforts to fight climate change. He said the funding will be used to finance work by scientists, activists and other groups.
Bezos posted on Instagram: "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," he added.
The Bezos Earth Fund would start distributing the money this summer, according to the Amazon boss. Bezos has an an estimated net worth of more than $130 billion, placing the pledge at around 8% of his total wealth.
Amazon employees have been urging Bezos to do more in helping fight climate change, with some conducting walkouts while others have spoken publicly. In comparison with other billionaires, he is known to have done only limited philanthropy.
Bezos has been previously criticized for his refusal to sign the Giving Pledge, under which the super-rich promise to give away half of their wealth during their lifetimes.
The pledge follows Microsoft's announcement in January that it plans to become carbon negative by 2030.
Chief executive officer (CEO) Satya Nadella said the company is aiming to remove “all of the carbon” from the environment that it has emitted since the company was founded in 1975. He wants to achieve this goal by 2050.
The company has also announced its plan to set up a climate innovation fund worth $1 billion to develop carbon-tackling technologies.
