Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos speaks to the media on the company's sustainability efforts on Sept. 19, 2019 in Washington, DC. ERIC BARADAT / AFP via Getty Images
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos just pledged $10 billion to fight the climate crisis.
<p>The world's richest man announced his Bezos Earth Fund in an Instagram post Monday.</p><p>"Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet," he wrote. "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."</p>
<div id="67858" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="X3M9F91582034712"><blockquote class="instagram-media"
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8rWKFnnQ5c/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
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word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Jeff Bezos on Instagram: “Today, I’m thrilled to announce I am launching the Bezos Earth Fund. Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to…”</a></p>
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<p>The fund will donate money to scientists, activists and non-governmental organizations working to protect the environment and will begin issuing grants this summer.</p><p>The announcement is a departure for Bezos, who has historically not chosen to direct his wealth towards philanthropy, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/17/technology/jeff-bezos-climate-change-earth-fund.html?smtyp=cur&smid=fb-nytimes&fbclid=IwAR2GbO0S8pb7fAitYN75_yLwWqAIAJHM0W4t0PkMB8b7eMAU-zdABgR5ad8" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. Indeed, he is the only U.S. citizen among the world's five richest people who has not signed the Giving Pledge to give away more than half his fortune during his life or in his will, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-giving-10-billion-to-fight-climate-change-2020-2?r=US&IR=T" target="_blank">Business Insider reported</a>. His $10 billion donation now accounts for around 7.7 percent of his net worth of <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/?sref=GaFxjgEt" target="_blank">$130 billion,</a> but even if he gave the whole amount away right now, he would still be the richest man on Earth, The New York Times pointed out. Still, his new fund is the third largest charitable pledge by an individual donor, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/17/tech/bezos-earth-fund-climate-change/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p>
<p>His foray into philanthropy comes after about a year of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-employees-climate-action-2634351319.html" target="_self">climate activism</a> on the part of Amazon employees seeking to push the company in a more Earth-friendly direction. Amazon emitted 44.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2018, according to its own figures released in September and reported by The New York Times.</p><p>"That would put them in the top 150 or 200 emitters in the world," <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en" target="_blank">CDP</a> North America President Bruno Sarda told The New York Times.</p>
<p>Also in September, Bezos unveiled an Amazon-wide Climate Pledge, promising the company would meet the goals of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a> 10 years early and be carbon neutral by 2040. That promise was made the day before more than 1,000 Amazon employees were <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/global-climate-strike-amazon-employees-2640285733.html" target="_self">set to participate</a> in a day of global climate strikes, CNN reported.</p><p>Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), however, want the company to go further and to stop offering cloud computing services to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas" target="_self">oil and gas</a> industry. Some <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-employees-climate-justice-threatened-2643729245.html?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3" target="_self">also say they were threatened</a> with being fired after speaking out on the company's climate policies.</p><p>In a statement responding to Bezos' announcement, the group applauded his philanthropy, but raised ongoing concerns about Amazon's business practices.</p>
<div id="e6973" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="P1Q9XN1582034712"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1229504930836123649" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Our statement in full:
https://t.co/X0u2KC3dWt</div> — Amazon Employees For Climate Justice (@Amazon Employees For Climate Justice)<a href="https://twitter.com/AMZNforClimate/statuses/1229504930836123649">1581971793.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In particular, the group flagged the use of cloud computing for oil and gas exploration, the company's donations to climate-denying think tanks like the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the threat that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a> from diesel trucks poses to the health of children who live near Amazon warehouses and the threats of retaliation against employees who spoke out.</p><p>"As history has taught us, true visionaries stand up against entrenched systems, often at great cost to themselves," the group wrote. "We applaud Jeff Bezos' philanthropy, but one hand cannot give what the other is taking away."</p>
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Amazon and other tech employees participate in the Global Climate Strike on Sept. 20, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. Amazon Employees for Climate Justice continue to protest today. Karen Ducey / Getty Images
Hundreds of Amazon workers publicly criticized the company's climate policies Sunday, showing open defiance of the company following its threats earlier this month to fire workers who speak out on climate change.
<p>Employee activist group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice published more than 350 critical quotes from employees, all who signed with their full names and positions, in a <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W6DvWmM8RrVZvW22C9GT7lVNSM0/*W2cYV_38-4Gq1W4Xbv83397QTn0/5/f18dQhb0S82-9dK6q-N834vY8HyjJqVQZcHb7d-35RW3hHhdL5Cgxh0VnQ9Qq8-hTdQW1SdKZc5mZ50NW13mxff6hgyjzW4b_Cc81Bv9nhN5nYg0QK3LqQW2L4pRK5nJfXkW3hn4g031QQhkW4qz8vw1kc574W8q-yth5vMg46VVbMnV8wM8pPW2GFx8n2RfDKTW7t4Mgb7RS2PkW2PxsfQ2Sk3trW6Bw-Y_58R2kKW1zqjQS6B44-rN2-dppT7L8WcW5rn9FK5F_8y-W5Hsr_p5G2WvyW5_7xD425G-dKW30q8CN2kGjZwW6qQkM-8lWQWNW94q7cq6VKJl2W1hC_8g5lppDNW3Fm0S67tNd1xW7jxHjF6BDFYWW2NmvQf33tKrFW5R58Zl8WGMrDW1FPhKV2NgCChVp7Pmf787zZXVL1rTH65MM2cW4mKN_z3-JrPCW1tJ6gQ94YshYW6_9fr-5rN_2nW6B5nW42FRXbCW32fH-j3qY36qW4P7LkF6hz0s8W2bzNQY5_rBl4W52HQQ_8Xl6PNN30YnswK3R_SW2lxNhl19rcTfW7g2g3R7MgL0YN6-KDtMMgtfGW8Z7Dpm339np0W5rJ6qp6MXX_4M4ZDML2LMBkV1qCTT480M_Y103" target="_blank">Medium post</a> Sunday. Earlier this month, the group reported that several of its members had been contacted by representatives from human resources about speaking out on climate in relation to the company's external communication policy, including two employees who were warned that "violation" of the policy could result in their being fired. </p>
<p>"Amazon, the Earth is our only home," Virginie Muzereau, a data linguist, said in the Medium post. "Spend more money on fighting Climate Change than on space exploration!"</p><h4>For a deeper dive:</h4><p><a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W6DvWmM8RrVZvW22C9GT7lVNSM0/*W7zPTm14gb0vBW33fn9K91TNT60/5/f18dQhb0SbTR8YHtvCN834vY8HyjJqVQZcHb7d-35RW3hHh8k2P7_nXVcnTGj98kDmwW6cc-5H7nwMJHW4WJbwn50FdTYN3TLlXGd_-RqW5wfmJH64k8yZW4XZ4Wg8rmFBxW90G7th8S3yR5VbY02S4s7X0SW1nk4sT4D5QSsW1c08qM7JCxGlW81bhDK7N_KqMW12CJpd3VKVtLW6mGYn87G222cW6pzHWB79p919W2tk5vH2z_scnW6x2RKS5-lMJcW5tl57G2pcdMTW2-F9kt4tGb5dW5PxF5V3gFHRDW41Zx4V5zGFmLW2V183d4GTn3ZW332cBV3lXgs1W3jSLrw3DWMPLW5hy76Z6SwSd2W3NWdT06vmdKCW3R688B5qCbb6W49tJXL4yykrzW6v61fr5Q_NgTW82G-VB8yRfc0MrPpMvrJh2DW904Mzk5DjW8tW4sg6JZ7nwRx9W1nyXgW2lpPhKW5mSYQ13dDlJwW9hvT5t4kdCTKW6CM9zF8Lm9XrW80NxzT3-YdVYW95X3xJ2pglVTW6vc-Z634KYpgf3mxHPH04" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W6DvWmM8RrVZvW22C9GT7lVNSM0/*W2fzqnX14sbk0V8d7Jf5vXpqL0/5/f18dQhb0S83f9dsRLqN834vY8HyjJqVQZcHb7d-35RW3hHhdm5zh-NRVnQ9Qq8--HBkW8--ktD8YztwfW8-tSzm8W5s0yW58jf-C8Xy6ztN7vpdW4t_FPCW2P3kTm4c310qN8Wm9KGqBSWVN32q6qNqNSjBN30TNVqrzXwxW5nnpLJ4chRLkW2MDh_X1TNMDHW32HfKl7xmCflN7KcHRnbxhdgW2L4pRK5nJfdrN2MTPSyKng6qW1Wg4bj2gd99PW58jrRT7rD5VlW1mlMKh2N33B5W3_t0gL32Gf2QW4cBzLv49z-4PN2MV0XLbG0m9W8W1JLS2KSn_tW4x-xGt7zLV65W2NnQ5K4bQW_qW6c41Gz1_Cr-HW1D7QjR2Pk8KXW7rXM6M1Y9hDcN7QT1JJl8tGPW7zMf708TSsn7W4gbxzv4549cWW2Q1sR747jnsJVpCnhR4nJRXcW90ZkC11S4b57VB9T0W557GZ2W2JDZ5m54V8CDW1X0X308-hLlNW5tb4QN3dSBB7N8csGDVD2JBLW7zKF1g5D4mfJW3ctMQY6fhXJMN8kZVT0NskCzW8TbH5T8CxJC9W4Hm4wk6mC_RpW7RY4hp5Ntq-fW80XVMJ7wJB6mW9lYmGY3QzSg8VQN_Tj3p3LQTf5g74-j04" target="_blank">Recode</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W6DvWmM8RrVZvW22C9GT7lVNSM0/*W8tnxCv2p-C_TW35v5lC7T4Yt00/5/f18dQhb0S2C86_rDdyVWphn82nhynjVkWqfC2nkB4RW4x7d8B2TBFtzW7bm7317CC1dgN3KsJHhYb3phW1WbKzz1xVnFNW332jMB5jCKLkW4N8qHw1CkVfHMRzP4Sb6H0qW1Lc2c58QpFg3W4QYy8s8-ZTkPW7bJ7XK3l-1tRW53QLtl8pyxVTW3FtSpq8GWBVWVHQNC95WPqJmW40SwMW6HB_96W7mmJ3R6p3FvvN336ZPbv4XXqV4JkWx2PlgkFW1P_qJN3jBLsvW32419x5DcTc6N9bPZtBDZ3GHW3ZLcLd311y-kW3H4yv61PP4vxW3Y3Lzz2bVvThW3QwVw-1YdwHhW71W9F94cfY9YW3zDyGY4ct87kW8kjKJS8K4tgNW8xpDXs4QwkjcW8KyzzM2lHFWCW3bwCZL436BcrW4bXNJt6LMr0LW6LpkLT304GJQN7Dx2gYTXWRcW6WpKnR6zz7mMW6TQYL14WkrG6W6v3dgK38G9xDW6G1yNX6HwZ4MW83928L2spN5SW84cZMs11vXlwW4srxmR6FCD0hW4HpLzL4C6NvFW3WQjtG8rz2HsW64LPGp1Lv5TQW3QkTtt1Vvn0dW129LXl8Dx9YJW7xdSZw6JPJ9qW7hV9mS565BtJW4c30Ch3vr9vwW6qDK4T5nJcdmW3rnWks6wcH4C0" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W6DvWmM8RrVZvW22C9GT7lVNSM0/*W2HxCC94gz9fJW7-WLvr1PP4Yr0/5/f18dQhb0S65L6_rD85V1xWDj6tMdm1W1xx3QR34k39wW5xT5Jr5MFzmFW6bB1BF3V_mtkW8RtHXn92YgfcW86-QDG41bVSvW4lFc7w2Yqx1QW1t4gN71t4f4_W8yl-wD8gG7WqW6S1TC98WsPR7W7LGzqQ7dkT35W3FtmQy8jmYJrMzSBykhNBzQW7RxWPl3p6pvdN4Rw9WVJ75ZzW1RRkR81-yGcPN1nKZJCBX3mYW8yTpDY4P7J-HW2f37fk4gFh0QW7WRnld72Vt5dW4pXzth8f-p7rW6X5jpq1vNWFkVcdbtm8TCKJ1N3RxjPjNljVQVG1Vv28MVc29W8H7Myj3T1k4wW6PFc983RM9-MW1nPjGf5nskY9VsxMP_7pbGw5W18Vrt_2KQmfnW67M5dq115rJ9MpL9KfV-hj_N5-P3QhQhDCbW39004L5SbG1TW6QyWv97R0bnWW23kzFY6lMMKtW7vYk3F6Ps0hWW6xCwJF7Q0gVRW8vHVC97_XZDdW8tBdJW2QCFRFW1_13Z77-_247W2HgwzT52LhFkW3SDBCb4gG93CVZGDrC3MfscmW3DXGv45GZ2hyW9j9x6h8k6p-XW96clMX48nsT-W8L3YyC972WP_W7n6ZMs8S0m9fW4H3ZD97kvkkVW8VB0J05_cWDm102" target="_blank">Axios</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W6DvWmM8RrVZvW22C9GT7lVNSM0/*W6zhTDP5schQ5W1hJmlw8vxfh70/5/f18dQhb0S66X28_sBhSmL51J1j0fW2wJ2z31tbkwMN1MpwvZxZVjlW6d4sTf3qC8DWW1qQNN01pqSpMW61k4Y-26Vwg2VwLLY01txlpMW2TMLCY53M_PxW1F8Rpn13FYYbW7hVdSs5GhSV5N3l4Y0mvvztLW3ZNH9V35yRWpW1m7Kyw2R_7g1W6ypYYT3BpdfMW8btVLl1v-zqjN5CVfXzSv4yKW5gKs3S5K9d6zF3C04R_yrX5N2wrqdPj3tr7W60mMnL28bpMlW15LDDl6hBY2SW5VKZj72m5fXzW7VmJX21pl2rxW8d_YL57fdPnpN841wt24y7QLW6GS9Yl2pm5hxW3wSFj24VglhkW122PcP7mV_QVW7Vt9nx3y_Kp0W604ntq6pC0WqW5yj2fF3dxqJ_W97dqZ02hN8ZLW6vDsD11KyyvzW3P6qx56PBhXrW3hH62K5s8PFBW8ZyDtP8Hn3w5W75Y7NB9bbwLWW6HZk2c7fJm47W5wFX9t6kzR0DW1HP2Pf6sz7hrW3TpLZM21ZGQ4W2969-388dtRYW895MNp8Rxy55W5frYKV5HWHQpN7R0nBZV9cp4Vs3Rb689dGgVf835-rT03" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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Amazon Employees for Climate Justice march to demand that leaders take action on climate change in Seattle, Washington on Sept. 20, 2019. JASON REDMOND / AFP / Getty Images
Amazon employees who speak out about the climate crisis say they have been threatened with firing.
<p>Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ) said Thursday that the company's legal and HR teams had questioned some of their members about public statements they had made urging Amazon to take <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-action" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate action</a>. Some also received emails saying they would be fired if they continued to speak up.</p><p><em>[<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-employees-climate-change-2638774171.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read about Amazon employees who want the company to act on climate</a>.]</em></p>
<div id="ef0df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Y6ZF0O1578066434"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1212777102270820353" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We must be able to speak up. Here is our press response to Amazon’s intimidation tactics. 3/ https://t.co/7DqhCw09Yf</div> — Amazon Employees For Climate Justice (@Amazon Employees For Climate Justice)<a href="https://twitter.com/AMZNforClimate/statuses/1212777102270820353">1577983568.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"It was scary to be called into a meeting like that, and then to be given a follow-up email saying that if I continued to speak up, I could be fired," user experience principal designer Maren Costa, one of the targeted employees, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/02/amazon-threatened-fire-employees-speaking-out-climate-change-workers-say?fbclid=IwAR0uUXU8dIwCZIbb_VpB_YtCUf_iKFvXOnlWOVfx5Xk7Lff-bkc_Hn7TkLw" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "But I spoke up because I'm terrified by the harm the climate crisis is already causing, and I fear for my children's future. Any policy that says I can't talk about something that is a threat to my children – all children – is a problem for me."</p><p>Costa said she was one of four employees who had been questioned and one of two threatened with firing.</p><p>Costa had spoken to The Washington Post in October about how Amazon's cloud computing helps with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas">oil and gas</a> exploration, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/01/02/amazon-threatens-fire-outspoken-employee-critics-its-environmental-policies/" target="_blank">the paper reported</a>. She was called into a meeting to discuss her comments that month, and then received an email saying she had violated the company's external communications policy and that any future violation could "result in formal corrective action, up to and including termination of your employment with Amazon," according to The Washington Post.</p>
<p>Jamie Kowalski, who also spoke to The Washington Post with Costa in October, received a similar message. Employee Emily Cunningham was separately told she had violated Amazon policies by speaking to reporters and on social media.</p><p>AECJ said that Amazon had updated its communications policy one day after the group announced it would <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/global-climate-strike-amazon-employees-2640285733.html">participate in the Global Climate Strike Sept. 20, 2019</a>. The updated policy requires employees to get prior approval before speaking publicly about the company while identified as an employee.</p><p>"Amazon's newly updated communications policy is having a chilling effect on workers who have the backbone to speak out and challenge Amazon to do better," software engineer Victoria Liang said in a statement reported by The Guardian. "This policy is aimed at silencing discussion around publicly available information. It has nothing to do with protecting confidential data, which is covered by a completely different set of policies."</p><p>Amazon countered that the new policy had been in development since spring and was not intended to target any group of employees.</p><p>"Our policy regarding external communications is not new and, we believe, is similar to other large companies," a company spokesperson told The Guardian. "We recently updated the policy and related approval process to make it easier for employees to participate in external activities such as speeches, media interviews, and use of the company's logo. As with any company policy, employees may receive a notification from our HR team if we learn of an instance where a policy is not being followed."</p>
<p>The earlier policy had required employees to get email permission from senior vice presidents before talking to the press, but was not often enforced with activists, The Washington Post reported. The new policy introduced an intranet page employees could use to get permission from lower-level executives before speaking publicly. Approval can take up to two weeks and requires a "business justification."</p><p>AECJ burst onto the scene in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-employees-climate-action-2634351319.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">April of last year</a> with an open letter urging the company to adopt climate policies such as halving <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/emissions" rel="noopener noreferrer">emissions</a> by 2030, phasing out <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" rel="noopener noreferrer">fossil fuel</a> use and compensating employees impacted by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" rel="noopener noreferrer">extreme weather </a>events. The <a href="https://medium.com/@amazonemployeesclimatejustice/public-letter-to-jeff-bezos-and-the-amazon-board-of-directors-82a8405f5e38" target="_blank">letter</a> was eventually signed by 8,703 employees.</p><p>The employees also tried and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-climate-change-resolution-2637862790.html" target="_self">failed</a> to push through a shareholder resolution calling for climate action.</p><p>However, a day before September's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-strike" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate strike</a>, CEO <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/Jeff-Bezos" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jeff Bezos</a> announced the company would be entirely powered by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/renewable-energy" rel="noopener noreferrer">renewable energy</a> by 2030 and would be carbon neutral by 2040, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50953719" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>.</p><p>AECJ said it would continue to push the company to take action, despite Bezos' promises and HR's threats. The employee activists are calling for the company to stop facilitating oil and gas exploration with its cloud computing and to stop donating to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate denying</a> politicians. They also want it to pursue carbon neutrality by 2030, not 2040.</p><p>"Amazon's policy is not going to stop the momentum tech workers have built over the past year at Amazon," data engineer Justin Campbell said in a statement reported by The Guardian. "The climate crisis is the greatest challenge we face, and the only way we can find solutions is by protecting people's right to speak freely and disrupting the status quo."</p>
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