Amazon rolled out a Climate Pledge Fund, with an initial funding of $2 billion (Dh7.34bn), to invest in sustainable technologies and services.
The new investment programme will help Amazon become carbon neutral by 2040 - the main goal of The Climate Pledge initiative, which was co-founded by the tech giant last year.
The new fund will back “entrepreneurs and innovators” who are building products and services to help companies reduce their carbon impact and operate more sustainably, Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive of Amazon, said.
“Each prospective investment will be judged on its potential to accelerate the path to zero carbon and help protect the planet for future generations,” he said.
The fund will initially invest in companies operating in sectors such as transportation and logistics, energy generation, storage and utilisation, manufacturing and materials, circular economy and food and agriculture.
Companies from pre-product start-ups to well-established enterprises will be considered for the grant.
Amazon and other technology giants have pivoted to focus on sustainability after mounting pressure from activists to reduce their emissions. Microsoft, one of Amazon's cloud computing rivals, said it would invest up to $1bn to back technology that could help remove carbon from the earth's atmosphere.
Many companies have also joined Amazon in The Climate Pledge programme, which pledges to meet the Paris Agreement goals 10 years before they are due.
Last week, the US telco Verizon, British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser and Indian technology firm Infosys joined the programme.
Amazon is aiming to run on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025 and is investing in the deployment of 100,000 electric vehicles from American automaker Rivian, some of which will be operational by 2021.
“Amazon has demonstrated its leadership in adopting low carbon technologies at scale,” said RJ Scaringe, chief executive of Rivian.
“Their investment and subsequent order of 100,000 electric delivery vans will substantially shrink the carbon footprint of Amazon’s package delivery network. We are excited about a future of decarbonised delivery services,” said Mr Scaringe.
Over the past few years, Amazon has significantly reduced waste in packaging.
It has decreased the weight of outbound packaging by 33 per cent and reduced more than 880,000 tonnes of packaging material, the equivalent of 1.5 billion shipping boxes, in the last five years.
Last September, Amazon also rolled out a $100 million grant to invest in nature-based solutions and reforestation projects around the world, including recent investments in the US and Germany.
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
