Philanthropy At Its Finest!
The magnitude of the problem posed by climate change is not lost on major benefactors, who are similarly coming to terms with it. Therefore, they are allocating substantial resources to safeguard the environment and the populations that would suffer the most from its rapid deterioration. The 3030 initiative, launched in September by nine separate institutions, pledged to spend $5 billion by 2030 to protect at least 30 percent of the world's land and sea. Laurene Powell Jobs, on her own, gave $3.5 billion to environmental groups to help with climate change.
Meanwhile, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Melinda French Gates have maintained their commitment to the Giving Pledge they launched. Almost the course of their lives, 14 additional billionaires, including the heads of DoorDash and Pinterest, vowed to donate over half of their wealth in December. The people who started organizations like GiveWell and the Giving Pledge were among them. The current tally of signatories is 231, representing 28 different nations.
Some of the more reclusive business tycoons appear to be starting to feel the pressure. In 2021, the world's wealthiest man, Elon Musk, considered teaming up with the United Nations' World Food Programme but finally opted against it. Subsequently, he gave over $5.7 billion to an unnamed charity, landing him a spot on the Philanthropy 50, an annual list of the most generous philanthropists in the United States. This was the year to make a real difference.
During last September's UN General Assembly and UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, philanthropists and foundations lined up to join world leaders in an urgent effort to rescue the earth. The United Nations organized both of these gatherings. They each took a turn pledging huge sums of money to separate climate change programs and promising to do something about the crisis.
Amidst all the hubbub, one donation stood out in particular: philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple co-founder and visionary Steve Jobs, announced that she will donate $3.5 billion to the cause over the next decade.
In true Powell Jobs fashion, he was cagey about details, but the plan is to help underdeveloped areas that will be hit worst by climate change. The majority of the donation will go toward improving access to safe shelter, reliable means of transportation, nutritious food, and medical care. We can only hope that her level of commitment would motivate others to financially support environmental protection initiatives.
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