Bezos to give $10b for climate war effort

SAN FRANCISCO－Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said on Monday that he is committing $10 billion to combat the impact of climate change.

Bezos, the world's richest person, said he is launching the Bezos Earth Fund and will start giving grants this summer to scientists, activists and nonprofits working to protect the Earth.

An Amazon spokesman confirmed that Bezos will be using his own money for the fund.

"Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet," he noted.

"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.

Amazon, the company Bezos runs, has an enormous carbon footprint.

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 its Seattle headquarters have been vocal in criticizing some of the company's practices, pushing it to do more to combat climate change.

Last year, Amazon officials said the company would work to have 100 percent of its energy use come from solar panels and other renewable energy by 2030.

The new fund will be the Amazon CEO's latest philanthropic move.

In 2018, Bezos started another fund, committing $2 billion of his own money to open preschools in low-income neighborhoods and give money to nonprofits that help homeless families.

Xinhua - Agencies