Jeff Bezos pledges $1 billion to biodiversity, conservation efforts

 Jeff Bezos, president and CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, speaks at the Economic Club of Washington DC’s “Milestone Celebration Dinner” in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2018. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos pledged on Monday to give away $1 billion in grants this year to focus on efforts around conservation.

The pledge is a part of his previously announced the Bezos Earth Fund, which the Amazon founder started last year to execute his $10 billion commitment to fund scientists, activists and non-profit organizations in the fight against climate change.

The Bezos Earth Fund said on Monday the fund will focus on Central Africa’s Congo Basin, the tropical Andes region and the tropical Pacific Ocean this year.

It is not yet known which organizations will receive the grants.

The grants will be prioritized in areas where local communities and Indigenous peoples are a main focus of conservation programs, the Bezos Earth Fund said.