Microsoft founder: Bill Gates invests billions in climate protection

Icon: enlarge

Bill Gates

Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP

Bill Gates

wants to invest two billion US dollars in start-ups and other projects against climate change over the next five years.

It is important to prevent a "climate catastrophe" through innovation, said the Microsoft founder to the "Handelsblatt".

This is "not impossible, but it is very difficult."

In the interview, the 65-year-old called for a five-fold increase in global government research investments in clean energies and other climate innovations within the next decade.

This would be at least 110 billion US dollars annually (around 90 billion euros).

Gates believes nuclear power is essential

In his new book "How we prevent the climate catastrophe", Gates calls for CO2 emissions to be reduced to zero by 2050 in order to avoid huge environmental and economic damage.

To do this, "the physical economy has to be changed at a pace that has never been seen before." CO2 taxes, trading in pollution rights and alternative energies such as solar and wind are essential for this.

"Germany has done the world a big favor by subsidizing solar modules," the IT pioneer told the Handelsblatt.

However, because of their unreliability in generating electricity, solar and wind were nowhere near enough.

Gates therefore believes that nuclear power is essential.

Another key technology for the Microsoft founder is hydrogen.

With green - that is, obtained using renewable energy technologies - hydrogen can be used to avoid the huge CO2 emissions in cement or steel production.

Gates is dissatisfied with the development of electric cars.

With the exception of countries like Norway, their spread would proceed too slowly: "Even in the simplest category of all, we only get a few percent further."

The Microsoft founder had great respect for “engineering in Germany, which has probably done more than any other country for the automotive industry.” However, he warned the manufacturers: “If Germany cannot establish itself in the field of electric cars, it would be a huge tragedy . "

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which Gates runs with his wife, is by far the most powerful private charity.

Since it was founded 20 years ago, it has invested more than $ 20 billion in the development and distribution of life-saving vaccines, including a number of recent initiatives against Covid-19.

In addition to vaccine research, the Gates Foundation also supports media companies in the USA and Europe, including the “Global Society” project at SPIEGEL with around 2.3 million euros over three years.

Icon: The mirror

clh