Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a public commitment to spending $10 billion to fight climate change, and the news has largely been greeted with negativity. Bezos, known as the world's richest man, has been the recipient of public criticism and scrutiny over what many perceive to be a lack of ability and duty to the world from which he profits. His critics feel he and Amazon should do more for their employees, the United States (in the form of taxes), and the environment.
The initiative is called the Bezos Earth Fund. Via a public statement issued on our climate dilemma.
On paper, the Bezos Earth Fund seems fine, and is arguably irable. His critics, however, question his commitment given his income and remain skeptical of how Bezos plans to navigate the challenges a "greener" planet would create for his company, Amazon. Running server farms and shipping packages are a massive part of Amazon's revenue, and many people struggle to believe Bezos would be willing to potentially compromise profits in those areas, in an effort to be more energy-efficient.
Critics Hold Bezos, Amazon able for Climate Change
Jeff Bezos has an estimated net worth of over $130 billion. While his pledge is, historically speaking, one of the largest charitable donations of all time, it still only equates to less than 8% of his alleged net worth. There's no shortage of multi-billion-dollar plans and initiatives for combating climate change in need of funding (even in the US alone) so the idea that Bezos is offering such a small percentage of his overall worth feels like an insult to some. His statement mentions he feels the problem can only be solved with the combined efforts of multiple corporations, organizations, and countries, and there's truth in that, but when the world's richest man only can clearly offer more than he has, it only gives his critics more fuel.
Amazon's role in this also draws public ire. Last year, the company's own shareholders began a campaign to push toward clean energy policies. Bezos was criticized by his own employees for public statements he's made regarding plans to colonize other planets in the coming decades. Other major corporations, such as Microsoft and Apple, have appeared much more active in pursuit of a climate-friendly business approach, and people are dissatisfied that Amazon is slow to follow suit. The conflict reached a climax last September, when the company announced plans to be carbon neutral by 2040, one day before a company-wide walkout over the issue was scheduled to occur. His critics cite ideas such as investing in ways to clean up the company's shipping pipeline by adding a larger roster of energy-efficient trucks. Amazon Web Services also has a large carbon footprint, and its server farms are sticking point for climate change activists.
In response, Amazon has announced plans to rely on solar and wind energy moving forward. The company has several wind farms, with more scheduled for this Spring, and has pledged to have over 100,000 electric transport vehicles within the decade. Still, with the financial success Amazon and Jeff Bezos have enjoyed, winning the battle of public perception will seemingly prove just as difficult as combating climate change itself.