$2.3 billion to environmental causes pledged by tech entrepreneur Cameron Adams and his wife Lisa Miller

Cameron Adams, co-founder of tech design giant Canva, has pledged to donate half of his estimated $4.79 billion fortune, committing more than $2.3 billion to tackle urgent environmental issues through global philanthropy.

In a heartfelt letter to The Giving Pledge, the global philanthropic initiative founded by Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Melinda French Gates, Adams and his wife, former zoologist Lisa Miller, announced their decision to give away the majority of their wealth.

They cited the climate crisis and biodiversity loss as the defining challenges of this decade.

“Philanthropy is more than charity,” Adams wrote.

“It is a means of addressing systemic issues, driving meaningful change, and ensuring that future generations inherit a world rich in possibility and biodiversity.”

The couple’s philanthropic vehicle, the Wedgetail Foundation, is already active in environmental protection.

They own a 5,000-hectare conservation site in Tasmania, managed in partnership with the University of Tasmania.

Their initiatives range from green loans for Latin American cacao and coffee growers to funding carbon accounting tools and large-scale reforestation projects.

Adams emphasized the unique power of private philanthropy to move faster and take bolder risks than governments or corporations: “Inaction on a dying planet is unacceptable.”

Established in 2010, the Giving Pledge has attracted commitments from over 240 of the world’s wealthiest individuals and families.

Adams joins his fellow Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, who signed the pledge in 2021.

Adams’ pledge marks one of the most significant philanthropic commitments from an Australian tech entrepreneur, reinforcing a growing trend of billionaires turning to environmental philanthropy amid escalating climate challenges.