Bill Gates Calls for a Reordering of Climate Priorities: "Focusing on Human Well-Being is the Solution"

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and climate expert, called for a radical shift in the global approach to combating climate change, considering that the key lies in directly improving the quality of human life. His statements came on the eve of the United Nations Climate Summit (COP30) in Brazil, as part of his call to link climate efforts to achieving overall well-being.

Gates emphasized in an interview with CNBC that resources should be directed to achieve a tangible impact on people's lives, through issues such as poverty reduction and disease control. He criticized what he described as a "catastrophic view" of climate change, calling for a "strategic shift" in priorities.

Gates said: "The climate is extremely important, but it should be viewed in the context of overall human well-being... I did not take this position because it has consensus, but because _in my opinion_ it is the intellectually correct position."

Clarifying his vision, he added: "It is the best way to ensure that everyone has the opportunity for a healthy and productive life, regardless of where they were born or the climate in which they were born."

This proposal comes at a time when global commitment to combating climate change is experiencing fluctuations, especially with the United States withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement during President Donald Trump's first term, before rejoining it under former President Joe Biden, where President Trump issued an order to withdraw from it again in his second term.

In this context, Gates described the main goal of the Paris Agreement _to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius_ as "unrealistic." This reflects doubts about the practical feasibility of some current climate goals.

Gates did not overlook emerging challenges, such as the huge demand for energy from artificial intelligence data centers. He expressed his belief that "many investments will end up in a dead end," but pointed out that tech companies are stuck in a race they cannot exit, saying: "But if you are a tech company, you cannot say no and withdraw from this race."

On the other hand, Gates praised investments by companies like Microsoft in alternative energy technology, emphasizing that continued support will contribute to reducing costs in the long term.

It is worth noting that these statements come after the Gates Climate Investment Fund, "Breakthrough Energy," announced layoffs of dozens of employees earlier this year, a move observers described as part of a restructuring of its strategy.

In a related context, Microsoft recently acknowledged, through its head of sustainability Melanie Nakagawa, that its climate goals for 2030 have become more difficult due to its focus on artificial intelligence, stating: "The force that pulls us away from our short-term goals is the same one that will help us build a bigger, faster, and stronger rocket to achieve them in the long term, which is artificial intelligence."

This highlights the difficult equation faced by tech companies between the pursuit of innovation and achieving environmental responsibility.