- Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said Friday that global warming is likely to exceed 2 degrees Celsius.
- His comments come as policymakers and business leaders gather in Dubai for the United Nations’ largest and most important annual climate summit.
- “Fortunately, we have progressed so far that we will not have extreme cases like 4 degrees.” [Celsius] Warming, but unfortunately we will probably even miss the 2 degree target. Therefore, adaptation will be a priority for us,” Gates said.
Bill Gates arrives for a press conference to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative at the European Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels on October 11, 2023.
Simon Wohlfahrt | Afp | Getty Images
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said Friday that the world is likely to exceed a critical temperature threshold that scientists have long warned could have dangerous and potentially irreversible impacts on people, wildlife and ecosystems.
Speaking to CNBC’s Tania Bryer in the United Arab Emirates at the COP28 climate conference, Gates said his “glass is definitely half full” on the climate crisis and that he is optimistic the Dubai summit can help solve it to drive progress.
However, the Microsoft co-founder said progress in combating climate change would likely not be enough to prevent global warming of 2 degrees Celsius.
His comments come as policymakers and business leaders gather in Dubai for the United Nations’ largest and most important annual climate summit. It is widely seen as a crucial opportunity to accelerate climate action at a time when the world is on track to record its hottest year on record and as extreme weather events around the world are taking their toll demand.
“There is no binary threshold where everything is terrible at a certain temperature,” Gates said Friday.
“We’re going to see warming that’s probably above our targets, and that’s where adaptation comes in to say, ‘Okay, what can you do about this warming that’s very cost-effective, like better warning systems for bad weather events?’ or better weather data to help?’ “Farmers know when to plant.”
Gates said it was essential to help the poorest adapt to human-caused climate change and try to minimize damage to ecosystems such as coral reefs.
“Fortunately, we have progressed so far that we will not have extreme cases like 4 degrees.” [Celsius] Warming, but unfortunately we will probably even miss the 2 degree target. Therefore, adaptation will be a priority for us,” Gates said.
At COP28, countries will for the first time assess exactly how far they are from achieving the goals of the groundbreaking Paris Agreement. The 2015 agreement aims to “limit global warming to well below 2, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.”
After more than a century of burning fossil fuels and unequal and unsustainable energy and land use, the world has already warmed by about 1.1 degrees Celsius, scientists say.
Ahead of the climate conference in Dubai, the United Nations Environment Program warned that current commitments under the Paris Agreement set the world up for warming of up to 2.9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. UNEP said its findings reinforced the urgent need for increased climate action.
The UN has previously stated that the 1.5 degree Celsius limit is considered an “upper limit” if humanity wants to avoid the worst of the climate crisis.
When asked how he thinks about the challenges facing future generations related to the climate crisis, Gates replied: “Well, through human innovation, better medicines and AI, a lot of amazing things are emerging that can help teach children different things.”
“At the same time, you know we have polarization, we have climate change and so it’s a very dynamic situation,” he continued. “Overall, I see a lot of positive things, but we have to prioritize avoiding these negative ones because we want not only our children, but many future generations to have an even better life than ours.”