The Bezos Earth Fund, founded by the billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder and former CEO of Amazon, launched a major initiative called the AI for the climate and the Nature Grand Challenge in April 2024. The program promises up to 100 million dollars to support teams using artificial intelligence (AI) To solve environmental problems. Recently, he revealed his first beneficiaries of the fund.
THE financing initiative focuses on real world solutions. It aims to reduce carbon emissions and protect wildlife using smart technology. The objective is to link AI experts with environmental groups. This helps them use AI to solve difficult climate and nature problems.
Many of these organizations have solid ideas but do not have technological expertise or financing to apply AI. This is where the Bezos Earth Fund comes into play, offering grants and encouraging teamwork in the fields.
The challenge focuses on four main areas:
- Sustainable proteins. Find AI tools that accelerate the discovery and production of plants based on plants or alternatives.
- Biodiversity conservation. The use of AI to follow threatened species, protect ecosystems and stop threats such as illegal logging.
- Optimization of the electrical network: Develop smarter and clearer means to store and distribute renewable energies.
- Generic innovations. Supporting creative ideas of AI that do not enter a standard category but which have great environmental potential.
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Take to know who these beneficiaries are and what they do.
Beneficiaries attack carbon elimination and climatic solutions
In May 2025, the Bezos Earth Fund announced its first 24 beneficiarieseach reception $ 50,000 To build their ideas. Some focus on attenuation of the climate and Carbon elimination, including:
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Carbon SIM: CO₂ withdrawal accelerator (University of Yale)
This project uses simulations powered by AI to test and improve strategies for Elimination of carbon dioxide (CDR). It aims to help scientists quickly assess methods – such as soil improvement or ocean capture – are the most effective for storing carbon.
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EV load optimization (Cornell University)
Cornell’s team Creates a tool that uses AI in real time to manage Load for electric vehicles (electric vehicles). This adjusts when and how cars are loaded so that they act as energy storage for the electrical network. This can support the transition to renewable energies and help reduce emissions.
Another Cornell project, GPT livestock is a generative AI tool This helps dairy producers reduce methane emissions. It includes a chatbot that gives advice on food and farmers, in particular for use in emerging savings, which reduces warming gases in the cattle climate.
These climate -oriented beneficiaries aim to combat emissions directly while making climatic solutions more evolving and accessible.
Why this counts for the climate and nature
AI has the potential of Global environmental efforts of superload– But only if it is applied judiciously and fairly. AI for the climate and the great challenge of nature contributes to transforming this potential into reality by:
- Give environmental groups access to advanced AI tools
- Financing of ideas at an early stage with clear routes to have an impact
- Encourage partnerships between technological experts and nature
- Support evolutionary, verifiable and science solutions by science
- Help reach global climate targets faster and more affordable
The need for innovation in climatic and nature solutions has never been greater. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by almost 50% by 2030 to continue to warm up below 1.5 ° C and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
At the same time, the World Economic Forum estimates that 44 billions of dollars of economic value– More than half of world GDP – is moderately or strongly dependent on nature and its services, highlighting the challenges of the loss of biodiversity.
The power of AI in climate action
AI is increasingly recognized as a change of game for environmental action. A 2023 Boston Consulting Group report revealed that AI could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 10% – the equivalent of 2.6 to 5.3 Co₂e Gigatons—Man 2030, if it is deployed on a large scale in sectors such as energy, transport and agriculture.
However, an investigation in 2022 from Microsoft University and Goldsmiths revealed that only 43% Environmental organizations felt “ready for AI”. They have cited obstacles such as lack of financing, technical expertise and access to data.
Fill the gap: the role of the great challenge
The Bezos Earth Fund for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge AI directly addresses these obstacles by providing critical funding and technical support to projects at an early stage. By granting seed subsidies from $ 50,000 to 24 various teams in its first round, the initiative reduces the entry threshold for non -profit organizations, universities and startups to experiment with solutions directed on AI.
This approach is vital, because the financing at an early stage of climate technology remains rare – 6% of world venture capital in 2023 went to climate -related startups, according to PWC. And in 2024, VC transactions for innovations on climate technology are still falling compared to 2023, according to Pitchbook data.
The Grand Challenge also promotes collaboration between IA experts and environmental practitioners, a recipe for success. For example, projects like Carbon SIM (Yale) and GPT livestock (Cornell) bring together specialists in automatic learning, environmentalists and farmers with design tools that are both scientifically robust and practical for real use. These partnerships help ensure that solutions are not only technologically advanced but also based on local knowledge and needs.
AI in action: use cases beyond carbon
Other beneficiaries use AI to help the environment. They reduce food waste, create better plant proteins and protect forests. Here are some of them and their innovations that attracted Bezos Fund’s investment:
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University of Leeds – food waste with protein. This project uses AI to transform food waste into sustainable protein. The software finds the best microbes and fermentation methods.
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Wageningen University – Platform Olimpus. This open source AI platform helps scientists find new vegetable and fermented proteins that feel and have a taste for milk and meat.
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BGCI -US – Forest monitoring and detection of illegal journalization. Using drones and AI, this project follows 500 endangered wooden species And detects illegal journalization in real time.
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Surveillance of forests fed by AI in Amazon. Another beneficiary works in the Amazon RainforestCombining satellite data with AI to detect changes in forest coverage.
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AI for Coral Reef Health (University of Miami). This project uses underwater cameras and AI models to assess the health of coral reefs. It can soon detect whitening and pollution damage.
AI is not only to crack the data. It is also a solid tool for early detection, rapid decision -making and scale of positive solutions in the wild.
Evolution: What happens next?
Planning subsidies of $ 50,000 are just Phase I. Later in 2025, until 15 teams will go to Phase IIreceiving $ 2 million Each more than two years to evolve and implement their solutions. This will allow them to go beyond prototypes and test their tools in real world parameters.
The Bezos Earth Fund says it also establishes partnerships with AI laboratories, technological companies and universities to support the technical side of the challenge. At the same time, he wants to train environmental groups on how to use and trust AI, ensuring that the solutions are not only powerful but practical.
The projects supported by the Bezos Earth Fund are still at the start of the stages, but they point to a future where Intelligent software can take care of a healthy planet. Whether it is managing forests, cleaning up farms or inventing new types of food, AI is now part of the climate and conservation toolbox.
