Climate Philanthropy and Transformational Change

On June 15, 2022, Resources for the Future (RFF) hosted a Policy Leadership Series event with Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund. Born out of a $10-billion commitment from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the Earth Fund is a philanthropic organization that funds efforts to address climate change and protect nature.

From government, to finance, to philanthropy, “we need all hands on deck,” Steer has said, “to identify the major transitions we need to go through as an economy and as a society in the world, and to identify where we can help accelerate these transitions that are necessary.” Steer’s experience across a variety of preeminent institutions—including positions in the British government, the World Bank, and, most recently, as President and CEO of the World Resources Institute—provide him with a unique insight into the multiple levers of change required to combat the climate crisis. RFF President and CEO Richard G. Newell sat down with Steer to discuss the mission and goals of the Bezos Earth Fund; the role of philanthropy in transformational systems change; and the range of investments, policies, and technological innovations needed to accelerate decarbonization and protect nature. Their conversation touched on a variety of topics, including data-driven solutions, innovation, and environmental justice and equity.

RFF’s Policy Leadership Series is a flagship set of events that serves as a public forum on timely environmental, energy, and natural resources topics. The series brings together some of the world’s most influential decisionmakers and policy thinkers to discuss the challenges of our time. Policy Leadership Series events are also distributed as the PLS Podcast series.