WASHINGTON: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (pictured) has pledged $10 billion to a new fund to tackle climate change but activists have urged the world’s richest man to first clean up the e-commerce giant’s own lacklustre environmental record.
The e-commerce tycoon said the Bezos Earth Fund would “fund scientists, activists, NGOs — any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world.” “Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet,” Bezos, whose net worth is estimated to be around $130 billion, said in an Instagram post to his 1.4 million followers on Monday.
However, Greenpeace USA said Amazon still had “massive climate issues,” asking: “Why won’t Bezos lead by cleaning up his own house?” Hundreds of Amazon employees last month signed a blog criticising the online retail giant’s climate policies and demanding it do more to tackle climate change.
Amazon has been accused of creating vast amounts of waste from the packaging it uses for doorstep deliveries, as well as for the greenhouse gas emissions from huge vehicle fleets. — Reuters
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