In a surprising shift, Bill Gates, a prominent advocate for reducing carbon emissions, has proposed diverting resources away from combating climate change to focus on eradicating disease and hunger. In an essay published this week, Gates argues that while climate change is a significant issue, it will not lead to humanity’s demise.
Instead, Gates suggests that philanthropists should prioritize investments aimed at preventing disease and hunger, which he believes cause more suffering than climate change. He points out that recent efforts to achieve zero carbon emissions have made progress but argue that past investments in these efforts were misplaced.
Gates’ stance on climate change comes ahead of the upcoming COP30 global summit, where world leaders will focus on battling climate change. The Trump administration’s funding cuts to USAID, an international aid organization providing food and medicine to impoverished countries, are cited by Gates as a reason for his proposed reallocation of resources.
However, some experts criticize Gates’ approach, arguing that it represents a false dichotomy between addressing climate change and eradicating disease and hunger. They claim that these issues are interconnected and that continuing to focus on reducing emissions is essential while also addressing the symptoms, such as improving health and infrastructure.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/28/business/bill-gates-climate-change