Amazon, Alibaba and Microsoft Founders Ally With Zuckerberg’s Climate Change Initiative

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is joining forces with Microsoft oracle Bill Gates to fight climate change.

The two, along with Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan, have launched the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, which will see the trio invest in zero-carbon energy technology. Other members of the new initiative include Amazon head Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Alibaba boss Jack Ma.

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“The Breakthrough Energy Coalition will invest in ideas that have the potential to transform the way we all produce and consume energy,” Zuckerberg wrote in his latest Facebook post.

“As leaders prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference: in Paris this week, we hope this will encourage more partners to make innovation a priority in the fight against climate change.”

Not one to be labelled a hypocrite, Zuckerberg pointed out that Facebook is already using clean energy facilities today, but he thinks it important that private, long-term investments like those that will come to fruition under the Breakthrough Energy Coalition are crucial to fight climate change in the future.

“Solving the clean energy problem is an essential part of building a better world. We won’t be able to make meaningful progress on other challenges – like educating or connecting the world – without secure energy and a stable climate,” Zuckerberg wrote.

“Yet progress towards a sustainable energy system is too slow, and the current system doesn’t encourage the kind of innovation that will get us there faster.”

Facebook has, in the last few years, ploughed significant investment into building green data centres. The social network’s latest build in Lulea, Sweden, will arguably be one of the most energy efficient giant data centres in the world, using freezing -20C air from the outside to cool its mega-servers. Facebook’s short-term goal is to run more than half of its computing facilities with clean and renewable energy by 2018.

Bill Gates, renowned global humanitarian aider, said: “I am optimistic that we can invent the tools we need to generate clean, affordable, reliable energy that will help the poorest improve their lives and also stop climate change. I hope even more governments and investors will join us.”

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