Gates Urges Climate Shift, Draws Partisan Fire

Bill Gates published a long essay ahead of COP30 saying climate change will have serious consequences—especially for the poorest countries—but “will not lead to humanity’s demise,” and urging a shift of some focus and funding from alarm‑driven near‑term emissions targets toward health, poverty reduction and resilience. He warned that a “doomsday” framing diverts resources from immediate human needs and offered a specific tradeoff example, saying he would accept a 0.1°C temperature rise to help eradicate malaria. Gates nonetheless endorsed continued investment in clean‑energy innovation, including support for vehicles like Breakthrough Energy, and said emissions projections have improved though more innovation is needed to reach net‑zero. He cautioned that health and development funding must not be sacrificed for short‑term emissions goals. The essay prompted wide media analysis and partisan reactions — including a post from President Donald Trump on Truth Social — with supporters praising its human‑centered focus and critics accusing Gates of backtracking or hypocrisy.