Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently turned around on his stance on climate change. Gates, who has long warned of the dangers of the rising temperatures, says climate change will not lead to the destruction of humanity.
In a memo released on Tuesday, coinciding with Gates' 70th birthday, the Microsoft co-founder called on the world to reframe its approach to the dangers posed by climate change. Gates explained that the doomsday narrative only drives the needed resources away from the solutions that could greatly impact the welfare of humanity. Gates' memo comes ahead of the COP30, the United Nations climate change summit that will take place in Brazil in two weeks' time.
'Although climate change will have serious consequences – particularly for people in the poorest countries – it will not lead to humanity's demise,' said Gates in the memo. 'People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future.'
Gates has invested billions of dollars through his own climate change venture fund, Breakthrough Energy. The tech billionaire and philanthropist said that the world should call for a 'strategic pivot' in terms of the effects of climate change, changing the focus from limiting the global temperature rise to prioritising improvements in health, agriculture, and development in the parts of the world that need it most.
'This is a chance to refocus on the metric that should count even more than emissions and temperature change: improving lives,' wrote Gates in the memo. 'Our chief goal should be to prevent suffering, particularly for those in the toughest conditions who live in the world's poorest countries.'
The Shift in Gates' Stance
The recent memo signals a change in the Microsoft co-founder's longtime stance on climate change. Gates previously published 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,' which included an aggressive plan to lower carbon emissions. In his stance now, Gates maintained that while climate change is still an issue that needs to be resolved, it will not be the only issue that will threaten the welfare of people from the poorest regions in the world.
Gates also cited the progress that has been made in mitigating the effects of climate change that has been overlooked. Such progress includes the global emissions predicted for 2040, which dropped from 50 billion tonnes to 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide on an annual basis, according to the predictions by the International Energy Agency. The 40 percent drop, Gates cites, is due to innovations that drove what he calls the 'Green Premium, ' meaning the cost difference between clean and polluting alternatives to zero or below for solar energy, wind energy, battery storage, and electric vehicles.
'Read that again: In the past 10 years, we've cut projected emissions by more than 40%,' wrote Gates.
Climate Change Continues to Impact the World
Despite the progress made, Gates still acknowledged that the global temperatures will continue to go up by two to three degrees Celsius by 2100. This puts it above the 1.5-degree target that was agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Climate Accords. Rather than viewing this increase as a disaster, Gates called for resources to be given to help the world's population prepare and thrive despite the rising temperatures.
Even as Gates has long advocated for climate change and environmental causes, the Microsoft co-founder has also taken criticism in the past for mixed messaging due to some actions he has taken. Such criticism included flying his private jet, which consumed around 450 gallons of fuel per hour, which Gates has also acknowledged in the memo. However, Gates said he offsets his own carbon footprint using 'legitimate carbon credits.'
