Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates writes in a new memo that climate change, while a major problem, "will not lead to humanity’s demise" and argues policymakers should prioritize reducing human suffering—especially in poorer countries. The memo arrives ahead of next month’s United Nations climate summit in Brazil.
Bill Gates, the 70-year-old Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, published a memo on Tuesday titled “Three tough truths about climate.” In it, he acknowledges climate change as a serious challenge but rejects a “doomsday” outlook, writing: “Although climate change will have serious consequences—particularly for people in the poorest countries—it will not lead to humanity’s demise.”
Gates argues the world should judge progress by how much it improves lives, not only by emissions or temperature metrics. “In short, climate change, disease, and poverty are all major problems. We should deal with them in proportion to the suffering they cause,” he writes. He adds that for the vast majority of people in low-income countries, poverty and disease remain bigger threats to life and welfare than climate change.
According to the Associated Press, Gates described his stance as pragmatic in a roundtable with reporters ahead of publication: “If you think climate is not important, you won’t agree with the memo. If you think climate is the only cause and apocalyptic, you won’t agree with the memo. It’s kind of this pragmatic view of somebody who’s, you know, trying to maximize the money and the innovation that goes to help in these poor countries.” The AP also characterized the memo as 17 pages.
Rather than downplaying the need for climate action, Gates calls for a strategic pivot: invest in innovation and interventions that most effectively reduce suffering—through health, development, adaptation, and clean‑energy breakthroughs—while continuing to address emissions. He questions whether limited funds are being used on the most impactful efforts and urges leaders to apply rigorous, outcomes‑based measures to spending.
The memo was released ahead of the U.N. climate conference in Belém, Brazil (COP30), scheduled for November 10–21, 2025. Gates says he hopes the discussion will focus more squarely on human welfare—particularly for the world’s poorest—alongside long‑term decarbonization.