Researchers and climate activists are communicating concerns over the conflict of interest surrounding Jeff Bezos' Earth Fund, according to a recent article published in the Guardian.
While Bezos' climate and biodiversity fund has donated billions of dollars to environmental initiatives and non-profit organizations, experts worry about Bezos' increasing influence over the climate projects and their board members.
What's happening?
Jeff Bezos and his partner, Lauren Sánchez, were presented with the Global Visionary Award for their significant monetary contributions supporting biodiversity and climate change solutions. However, behind the spotlight, experts and members of the scientific community have expressed their growing concern regarding Bezos' control over so many environmental projects.
Experts have started to question whether Bezos Earth Fund's mission is truly philanthropic or is a scheme to push his own business interests. Skeptics' concern only increased after organizations funded by the Bezos Earth Fund started making pro-corporate decisions.
"At this point, Bezos Earth Fund's enormous presence in the climate and conservation space starts to look less philanthropical, and more like an attempt to take over the corporate governance system for its own interests and agenda," a climate policy expert told the Guardian on the condition of anonymity.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is touted as the world's most significant climate certification organization. After receiving an $18 million grant from Bezos, however, the SBTi board announced its decision to allow companies to meet their climate targets with carbon offsets rather than decreasing pollution, according to the Guardian.
This sudden decision sparked outrage among staff members who were blindsided by the move and feared it could lead to greenwashing, per the news outlet.
Why is the Bezos Earth Fund important?
The Bezos Earth Fund is important because it has widespread influence over essential climate research and projects. For the scientific process to remain ethical, the system must be credible. When one entity has widespread control over projects, the system's credibility starts to weaken, and climate solutions can get sidelined.
To prevent greenwashing and overly corporate-friendly initiatives, it's important for the scientific process to stay independent. While the Bezos Earth Fund is funding environmental projects, it's crucial these funds do not lead to over-control of the climate research initiatives.
"We have seen millions of dollars paid to conservation and climate organizations. So many have taken money from the Bezos Earth Fund, and I find it really worrying. There is obviously a risk of a conflict of interest," Holger Hoffmann-Riem from the Swiss NGO Go for Impact told the Guardian. "The credibility of the system relies on independence."
A spokesperson for the Bezos Earth Fund denied any conflicts of interest, according to the Guardian.
What can be done to protect climate projects?
Experts and members of the scientific community have spoken out against Bezos' growing influence in the environmental sector. Staff members as well as advisors at SBTi also expressed their frustration and concern regarding the organization's carbon offset decision.
A spokesperson for SBTi also told the Guardian that the organization has conflicts of interest listed on its website. This type of transparency can be crucial in attempts to hold companies accountable for their policies and practices.
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