REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson
- Jeff Bezos has hired Dr. Andrew Steer to head up his $10 billion climate change fund.
- Steer has been CEO of the World Resources Institute for the last eight years.
- Steer said in a tweet that the goal is to spend the $10 billion fund by 2030.
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Jeff Bezos on Tuesday announced that he has picked a CEO to oversee his $10 billion climate change philanthropy project, the Earth Fund.
"We're excited to announce that Dr. Andrew Steer has agreed to lead the Bezos Earth Fund as President and CEO," Bezos said in an Instagram post Tuesday.
Steer has been CEO at global research organization the World Resources Institute (WRI) for the last eight years.
"I feel incredibly fortunate to join the Bezos Earth Fund as its CEO, where I will focus on driving systemic change to address the climate and nature crises, with a focus on people. Too many of the most creative initiatives suffer for a lack of finance, risk management or the right partnerships. This is where the Earth Fund will be helpful," Steer said in a statement on the WRI website.
"The Earth Fund will invest in scientists, NGOs, activists, and the private sector to help drive new technologies, investments, policy change and behavior. We will emphasize social justice, as climate change disproportionately hurts poor and marginalized communities," he added in a tweet.
Steers said Bezos' goal is to spend the entire $10 billion pot by 2030. Bezos first announced the fund in February 2020, but did not give a timeline.
Bezos announced in February this year that he will be stepping down as CEO of Amazon, where he will be taking up the less time-consuming role of executive chairman. Bezos said part of his reasoning for giving up his job as Amazon CEO was to focus on his philanthropic initiatives including the Earth Fund - as well as The Washington Post (which he owns) and his space exploration company Blue Origin.