Billionaires Are Not Going To Save Us From Climate Change

A new report shows “disappointing” philanthropic giving to climate causes in 2022.

by Arielle Samuelson, Heated

When billionaires announce grand philanthropic donations for the planet, they tend to get heaps of positive attention.

Who can forget the wave of press coverage that followed Jeff Bezos’ announcement of the $10 billion Bezos Earth Fund; Elon Musk’s unveiling of a $100 million prize for “best carbon capture;” or Kim Kardashians’ recent announcement that she’s donating a portion of sales from her Skims Ultimate Nipple Bra to an environmental nonprofit.

(On the View, Whoopi Goldberg said she was “so proud of this girl” for donating money to climate change. And we are too, Whoopi. We are too.)

It is always good to see money going toward climate solutions. But one thing we notice about these media cycles is that they tend to miss a critical point: that billionaires should be giving money to fight climate change, because they are doing a lot to cause it.

Not only do billionaires personally emit one million times more greenhouse gases per year than the average person on Earth; their money often comes from high-emitting corporations that foster a global culture of excessive consumerism. (We’re looking at you, Bezos).