Bill Gates: 'No Comparable Feat' To Tackling Climate Change
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates discussed the future of climate tech and the feasibility of limiting rising temperatures in a recent interview with Jeremy Hunt of think tank Policy Exchange. Hunt released an excerpt of the interview Wednesday on Twitter, with the full interview expected on Friday.
Gates said that “there is no comparable feat that mankind has ever achieved to what we need to do for climate change.”
Specifically, Gates referred to a need to lower the costs of different climate technologies, including green steel, cheap hydrogen, and offshore wind. He noted that combating climate change requires rapid innovation and increased funding, which he said is workable.
Experts have noted how combating climate change requires an array of technologies and sectors working together. More recent investments in climate technology have shown promise amid global efforts to transition to more sustainable energy alternatives.
Microsoft President Brad Smith told CNBC on Wednesday that climate technology companies and startups will become household names by 2050.
While there is a lot of hope to avoid a climate emergency, Gates says he doubts any current or future efforts could limit the global rise in temperatures to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. That temperature is the target of the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep that number below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
“It’s all a matter of degrees, so to speak . . . Hitting 2.5 is better than hitting 3, hitting 2 is better than hitting 2.5. 1.5 will be very difficult. I doubt we’ll be able to achieve that,” he said.
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