Google’s philanthropic arm on Thursday said it is taking aim at gobal warming, poverty, and pandemics with millions in cash and the Internet giant’s global resources.
Google.org Executive Director Larry Brilliant said the group had a ‘brutal’ job selecting priorities from the world’s ills and crafting five core initiatives it feels best match Google’s strengths.
Google.org announced more than $25 million (127 mio. d. kr.) in grant money being invested in groups combating environmental, energy, poverty, or health woes.
Thursday, Google.org unveiled the first set of major five- to eight-year initiatives it will pursue.
The initiatives include efforts to create systems for helping predict and prevent disease pandemics, to empower the poor with information about their public services and to spur job creation by facilitating investment in developing-world small and midsize businesses.
They join previously announced initiatives to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in cars and make renewable energy cheaper than coal.
Google will work with partners in each area, although it plans to directly invest money in businesses and operate some of the projects itself.
The initial grants begin to fulfill a pledge made four years ago by Google’s founders to devote about 1 percent of the company’s equity and annual profit to humanitarian causes.
Google.org, the philanthropic arm formed in 2006, expects to give away as much as $175 million (889 mio. d. kr.) over the next few years.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
