One of the wealthiest people in the world, Bill Gates, gives a passionate statement about climate change and how it will impact children in the future.
He released a statement on his blog, Gates Notes, outlining his worries. Gates, who is set to become a grandpa, said he is getting more and more worried about the future of the planet and the younger generation as long as environmental deterioration persists. The kid will be born next year, according to Gates’ 25-year-old daughter Jennifer. Gates oversaw the Gates Foundation for many years, allocating money to several initiatives dealing with AIDS, polio, and global poverty, as well as education and disease preparation.
“I started looking at the world through a new lens recently—when my older daughter gave me the incredible news that I’ll become a grandfather next year,” Gates said.
“Simply typing that phrase, ‘I’ll become a grandfather next year,’ makes me emotional. And the thought gives a new dimension to my work. When I think about the world, my grandchild will be born into. I’m more inspired than ever to help everyone’s children and grandchildren have a chance to survive and thrive,” he added.
The billionaire emphasized that the existing leaders are essential to handle the climate catastrophe. However, how the present generation of leaders develops and implements policies to assist us in achieving our climate objectives and targets will significantly influence how much of an impact it has on the next generation.
“I can sum up the solution to climate change in two sentences: We need to eliminate global emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. Extreme weather is already causing more suffering, and if we don’t get to net-zero emissions, our grandchildren will grow up in a world that is dramatically worse off,” he added.
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A long-standing fight, said Gates
Gates acknowledged that there would be a significant obstacle to overcome before achieving zero carbon emissions. However, he asserted that the climate objectives should be achievable in the following decades with the help of practical, organized involvement from nations worldwide.
Gates explained how he got his charitable organization off the ground. He continued that leaders should understand the climate catastrophe’s effects on small-scale farmers and communities.
“I can sum up the challenge in two sentences: Getting to zero will be the hardest thing humans have ever done. We need to revolutionize the entire physical economy—how we make things, move around, produce electricity, grow food, and stay warm and cool—in less than three decades,” he said.
“It starts from the idea that the poorest are suffering the most from climate change, but businesses don’t have a natural incentive to make tools that help them,” Gates added.
“A seed company can earn profits from, say, a new type of tomato that’s a nicer shade of red and doesn’t bruise easily, but it has no incentive to make better strains of cassava that (a) survive floods and droughts, and (b) are cheap enough for the world’s low-income farmers. The foundation’s role is to make sure that the poorest benefit from the same innovative skills that benefit richer countries,” the billionaire wrote.
More businesses should turn green
Gates’ businesses also support other environmentally friendly businesses. Breakthrough Energy Ventures, for instance, invests in early-stage companies that aim to reduce carbon emissions.
According to Gates, he is doing that because the world needs to produce a group of businesspeople that prioritize becoming green for the benefit of the planet. Gates acknowledged his inability to preserve the earth by himself. Instead, his goal is to inspire more business owners to adopt environmentally friendly practices.
“Philanthropy alone can’t eliminate greenhouse gases. Only markets and governments can achieve that kind of pace and scale. Companies need to be profitable so they can grow, keep running, and prove that there’s a market for their products,” he said.
“The profit incentive will attract other innovators, creating competition that will drive down the prices of zero-emissions inventions and have a meaningful impact on emissions from buildings,” he added.
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A worsening climate condition
Still, there are a lot of greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental organizations and the UN were shaken by this, which caused waves of panic. In a speech to international leaders a few months ago, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the need for polluters to be held accountable.
According to Guterres, this group of “polluters” must make restitution for the harm they caused to the environment. Nevertheless, Gates is sure that investing money in decarbonization technology would help the world find a solution.
“Unfortunately, on near-term goals, we’re falling short. Between 2021 and 2022, global emissions rose from 51 billion tons of carbon equivalents to 52 billion tons,” Gates explained.
“We’re much further along than I would have predicted a few years ago on getting companies to invest in zero-carbon breakthroughs,” he said.
“Climate change is another area where good news can be hard to find. We are still moving in the wrong direction. The global emissions gap is growing, and the 1.5-degree goal is gasping for breath. National climate plans are falling woefully short,” Guterres said on Monday.
“Of course, fossil fuels cannot be shut down overnight. A just transition means leaving no person or country behind. But it’s high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice,” Guterres explained during a UN assembly months ago.
“Polluters must pay. And today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies.”
Photo Credit: Nicolas Liponne from CNBC
Source: CNBC
