Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates says the climate crisis is serious but survivable, urging global leaders to shift focus from narrowly chasing temperature targets to reducing human suffering through health, agriculture and innovation.
In a memo on his Gates Notes blog ahead of the COP30 summit, Gates wrote: “Although climate change will have serious consequences — particularly for the poorest countries – it will not lead to humanity’s demise. People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future.”
Gates criticized what he called the “doomsday view” that dominates much of the climate-change discourse, and warned that an overemphasis on near-term emission cuts diverts resources from tackling poverty and disease.
He emphasized that innovation and adaptation are central to his approach, especially in low-income nations, and noted that the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 °C may no longer be realistic.
Critics, including climate scientists like Michael Mann, have accused Gates of creating a false dichotomy between emissions and human welfare, arguing that his framework may downplay the urgency of rapid decarbonization.
Meanwhile, António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, reiterated that a 1.5 °C overshoot remains a critical threat.