“Although climate change will have serious consequences—particularly for people in the poorest countries—it will not lead to humanity’s demise,” Gates wrote in the memo. “People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future.”
“This is a chance to refocus on the metric that should count even more than emissions and temperature change: improving lives,” Gates wrote. “Our chief goal should be to prevent suffering, particularly for those in the toughest conditions who live in the world’s poorest countries.”
“Read that again: In the past 10 years, we’ve cut projected emissions by more than 40%,” Gates wrote.
Gates called on governments, investors, and the climate community to rigorously measure the impact of every climate investment and prioritize initiatives that deliver the greatest return for human welfare. He urged COP30 participants to ask: “How do we make sure aid spending is delivering the greatest possible impact for the most vulnerable people? Is the money designated for climate being spent on the right things?”
