The richest person in the world, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, took to the stage to push for action on climate change on Tuesday – and people could not believe their eyes.
Bezos spoke at the UN’s climate summit COP26 about how his own adventures to space just earlier this year – enabled via his private company Blue Origin – made him realise how fragile the Earth and its atmosphere is.
“Looking back at Earth from up there, [in space] the atmosphere seemed so thin. The world so finite and so fragile,” the billionaire said.
“Now, in this critical year, in what we all know is the decision decade, we must all stand together to protect our world.”
He also announced a £2 billion pledge to restore nature as part of a £10 billion Bezos Earth fund.
But the irony of his declaration was not lost on viewers, who berated him for failing to implement green policies in his own companies.
The i’s Paul Waugh pointed out that just Bezos’ journey into space would have used up fossil fuels, culminating a significant portion of CO2 emissions.
The Guardian’s political correspondent Peter Walker noted that the billionaire was “explaining the obvious” after his “massively polluting ego trip into space” which lasted approximately 10 minutes.
Walker also pointed out the irony that Bezos even had a platform at the event, noting: “He’s not the saviour, he’s the problem.”
Columnist Tim Stanley dubbed the Amazon founder’s speech as “COP26′s Marie Antoinette moment” for its insensitivity.
Fortune’s magazine David Meyer compared Bezos’ speech to then-foreign secretary Dominic Raab’s feeble excuses for being away on holiday when the Afghanistan crisis was unfolding.
Columnist Nick Timothy pointed out that Bezos still had significant work to do when it comes to making his own businesses more sustainable as well.
And the furious tweets from everyone who caught his speech just kept on coming.