Bill Gates says a 'doomsday outlook' on climate is driving people to focus on the wrong things

Bill Gates is urging the world to rethink its approach to climate change, arguing that an overly catastrophic narrative is driving resources away from the solutions that could have the greatest impact on human welfare. In a lengthy memo published Tuesday morning—coinciding with his 70th birthday—the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist challenged what he called a “doomsday view of climate change” that he believes is causing policymakers to “focus too much on near-term emissions goals” at the expense of more effective interventions.

The memo arrives just two weeks before global leaders convene in Belém, Brazil, for COP30 , the United Nations climate summit scheduled for November 10-21.

“Although climate change will have serious consequences—particularly for people