Speaking on CNBC on Tuesday morning, Gates said his latest assessment of the climate problem was partly motivated by cuts to aid budgets made by the Trump administration and other rich countries. “The plea here is to say, OK, let’s take that very limited money and not have some partitioned off for particular causes.” He described the US government’s decision to cut climate and clean energy programs a “huge disappointment.”
Gates said his views on the necessity of the Paris climate agreement and the need for companies to lower their emissions have not changed. “I’m a climate activist, but I’m also a child survival activist,” he said.
The upshot, Gates says in his essay, is that it’s now “time to put human welfare at the centre of our climate strategies, which includes reducing the green premium to zero and improving agriculture and health in poor countries.”
Gates warns that prioritising the fight against rising temperatures above all else means that issues such as human health and equality risk being overshadowed.Credit: AP
Gates, who this year laid off some staff at his climate group, Breakthrough Energy, warned that the doomsday outlook has led climate advocates to focus too narrowly on near-term emissions goals, diverting resources away from more effective solutions to improve life on a hotter planet. He said COP30 should focus on how best to adapt to reality and ensure human welfare is a priority.
“This is a chance to refocus on the metric that should count even more than emissions and temperature change: improving lives,” Gates wrote. “COP30 is taking place at a time when it’s especially important to get the most value out of every dollar spent on helping the poorest.”
The billionaire said he’s aware his comments will draw criticism from some climate advocates, and underlined that he still acknowledges that climate change “needs to be solved.” He also said his view on the matter has been informed by his work with the Gates Foundation, whose top priority is health and development in poor countries.
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“Sometimes the world acts as if any effort to fight climate change is as worthwhile as any other,” Gates wrote.
“As a result, less-effective projects are diverting money and attention from efforts that will have more impact on the human condition: namely, making it affordable to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions and reducing extreme poverty with improvements in agriculture and health.”
