Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Jeff Bezos pledges $10b. to climate change fight
Amazon CEO and owner of the Washington Post Jeff Bezos has joined the list of billionaires, including names such as Bill Gates, that have pledged resources to further the research and prevention of climate change. This is following his announcement last year that Amazon would strive towards the goal of becoming a net carbon neutral retailer by 2040, and to buy 100,000 electronic cars from vehicle design startups in order to promote and sell them. Using his platform on Twitter, Jeff Bezos has called climate change "the biggest threat to our planet", expressing his desire to contribute in the fight against it, and calling all people to action, stating that it would take collective action from big companies, nation states, small companies, and individuals to solve this issue. Amazon has been the subject of scrutiny from environmental activists for a while, and faced pressure from even their employees. While these groups have welcomed funding from Jeff Bezos, they also point out that it does not completely make up for the fossil fuel consumption of Amazon itself.
https://www.jpost.com/International/Amazon-CEO-Jeff-Bezos-pledges-10-bln-to-climate-change-fight-617905
Questions
1. How much is Amazon to blame for their effect on their environment?
2. How will donations like this and the efforts of companies like Amazon to fight climate change affect the situation globally?
3. How might pressure from activist groups affect companies' decisions in the future?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Amazon is definitely to blame for their actions on the environment, and while they are attempting to cut down on their performance, there is still lots of work to be done. The donations will definitely help, but it depends on how they are used. If they are used to fund research and the like, then it will be very useful. If they are used to fund cleanups, then it will be less useful, but still useful. However, there needs to be a balance between planning for the future and doing work in the present, so I hope that these donations are used wisely. Activist groups will definitely affect big corporations in the future, because of the fact that if the word gets out, then people will begin boycotts if they feel the problem is too big.
ReplyDeleteLarge corporations like Amazon can definitely be blamed for causing damage to our environment. Not only does packaging waste affect our environment, but also the transportation required to deliver our packages. I think that Jeff Bezos is going in the right direction with his donation, but further steps still need to be taken if he wants to make a large impact, such as finding a way to make packaging more sustainable. Hopefully this news will possibly encourage other billionaires to utilize their wealth in fighting climate change.
ReplyDeleteWhile Amazon produces a lot of waste through their shipping the 10 billion dollar donation can go a long way. I think that the two richest men in the world have donated considerable sums of money towards the cause puts pressure on other major businesses to take action and commit money towards the cause.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Amazon can definitely be held accountable for their contributions to climate change, especially because it is such a huge corporation. Although they have contributed to the issue, I believe that Bezos is taking a step in the right direction. It clear that they have tried to restrict themselves from further contributing, and I believe that the donations will provide a great amount help.
ReplyDeleteDue to the fact that Amazon is a massive industry it is more than reasonable to hold them accountable for helping to contribute to climate change. However, this does not take away from Bezos' donation since it demonstrates his support and care for the planet. In addition to Amazon's efforts to cut down emissions, the 10 billion dollar donation is another step towards effectively fighting climate change.
ReplyDeleteDue to the fact that Amazon is a massive industry it is more than reasonable to hold them accountable for helping to contribute to climate change. However, this does not take away from Bezos' donation since it demonstrates his support and care for the planet. In addition to Amazon's efforts to cut down emissions, the 10 billion dollar donation is another step towards effectively fighting climate change.
ReplyDeleteAmazon is a large company, it should be reasonable that they contribute to climate change. Efforts like this can really be a change since we will be able to use it for the better. Other companies might lean forwards donating since a company with power did, they would also want to be part of that contribution
ReplyDelete