Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has taken a new climate change stance, saying the world should not view global warming as an existential threat and should instead focus on fighting disease and hunger.
In a new essay published Tuesday, Gates argued that while climate change remains a serious concern, it is unlikely to “wipe out humanity.” He said too much money has been directed toward costly and uncertain carbon reduction projects, while more immediate crises like famine and preventable illnesses receive less attention.
“Climate change, disease, and poverty are all major problems,” Gates wrote. “We should deal with them in proportion to the suffering they cause.”
The Microsoft co-founder’s essay signals a notable shift in his climate change stance ahead of next month’s COP30 summit. Gates emphasized that efforts to cut emissions must continue but called for philanthropists and governments to “refocus on improving lives,” particularly in the world’s poorest regions.
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He also criticized the Trump administration’s decision to defund the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), warning that the move threatens global efforts to provide food and medicine to vulnerable populations.
“Although climate change will have serious consequences—particularly for people in the poorest countries—it will not lead to humanity’s demise,” Gates wrote.
However, not everyone agrees with his change in focus. Michael Mann, Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media, countered that “there is no greater threat to developing nations than the climate crisis.”