There is no argument that Mr Gates is one of, if not the biggest global philanthropist alive today. What he says is not governed by any financial vested interest, he has enough and is actively giving away the rest. So, it’s worth a read. As always it challenges us to see things differently and there is no harm in that (indeed just the opposite actually) as it poses some real questions for the leaders gathering in Brazil for COP30.

In short, he outlines three “truths”. Before he does so he makes the following point:- “To be clear: Climate change is a very important problem. It needs to be solved, along with other problems like malaria and malnutrition. Every tenth of a degree of heating that we prevent is hugely beneficial because a stable climate makes it easier to improve people’s lives.”

He then goes on to state his truths – “Climate change is a serious problem but it will not be the end of civilisation”; “temperature is not the best way to measure our progress on climate”; “health and prosperity are the best defences against climate change”.

I’m not going to paraphrase the memo, it would be a disservice to do so, but I will post the link to it here:- A new approach for the world’s climate strategy | Bill Gates

One lesson he gives is from a low-income country that, under pressure to cut carbon emissions, banned farmers from using synthetic fertilisers, which in turn reduced yields forcing up prices and creating a crisis because they valued carbon reduction above human welfare. A salutary lesson.

We are a wealthy nation, but the lessons still apply. Climate policies that make people worse off are bad policies because they turn people against the end goal. Reducing the cost of going green but making it cheaper to do so will increase consumer take up. Prioritising our global climate action to where it can be used most cost-effectively to do most good for human welfare, should be our approach. Why would you do anything else?