Jeff Bezos names Andrew Steer as head of Bezos Earth Fund

Andrew Steer, president and CEO at World Resources Institute takes part in a panel discussion at the Confederation of Danish Industries in Copenhagen, in connection with the PG4 Summit in Copenhagen October 19, 2018. Nils Meilvang/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS/Files

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's Jeff Bezos on Tuesday named Andrew Steer, who leads environmental think tank World Resources Institute, as the president and chief executive officer of his $10 billion Earth Fund.

The billionaire started the Bezos Earth Fund last year and committed $10 billion to fund scientists, activists, nonprofit organizations and other groups fighting to protect the environment and counter the effects of climate change.

Steer has years of experience in environmental and climate science as well as economic and social policy in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa, Bezos said in a Instagram post.

Amazon, which delivers 10 billion items a year, has a massive transportation and data center footprint, and the e-commerce giant has faced criticism from within its own workforce for the impact that the company has on the environment.

Bezos in February said he would step down as the chief executive officer of Amazon and focus on his other passions which include the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund and Blue Origin.

(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)