Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are contributing $100 million to the Species Recovery Alliance, a $500 million initiative announced on October 16 at the COP17 biodiversity conference in Yerevan, Armenia. The alliance aims to save the world’s most endangered animals and plants from extinction, with the Bezos Earth Fund as one of nine founding members, according to fortune.com.
The Species Recovery Alliance was unveiled by Cristián Samper, managing director of the Bezos Earth Fund and leader of nature solutions. The alliance includes other founding members such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s Re:wild, Rainforest Trust, and the Colossal Foundation. Each member will direct its own grants to conservation groups and local partners working on species classified as endangered, critically endangered, or extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The initiative addresses the challenge that conservation efforts often face unreliable funding, which can jeopardize long-term species recovery. Samper emphasized that rebuilding populations can take years, and consistent support is crucial to maintain progress. The alliance’s coordinated approach allows members to collaborate while managing their own funding streams, targeting species recovery through breeding programs and habitat restoration.
The Bezos Earth Fund has given away $2.4 billion to date, with this $100 million commitment marking a focused effort on biodiversity. The next major biodiversity summit, COP18, is scheduled for 2027, where progress on these conservation efforts will be reviewed.