Summary

• Bill Gates believes the 1.5 degree global warming target will not be met.
• Gates believes innovation is key to addressing climate change, and everyone can help through their role as voter, consumer, giver, and worker.
• Gates has invested in clean energy innovation and is optimistic about progress, but acknowledges challenges like the Ukraine war.

Climate Accord to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-Industrial levels, according to Bill Gates. The billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, who has invested in various climate change innovations through his nuclear innovation company TerraPower and investment firm, Breakthrough Energy, and has written a book about climate change, "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster," answered questions from Reddit users on Wednesday and a handful of the questions revolved around climate change.

Gates said that even though the world will not meet the current timelines or avoid going over 1.5 degrees, the pace of innovation is really picking up. He pointed out that the world needs to make clean energy alternatives as cheap as dirty energy products in every area of emission including planes, concrete, and meat, in order to ask all countries in the world to change. Gates also emphasized that everyone can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change through their roles as voters, consumers, givers and workers. Examples of actions individuals can take include buying electric cars, and paying extra to offset emissions generated when traveling. He also said that support on climate from both parties in the US and in all countries is essential.

Gates also highlighted the importance of alternative ways to produce meat, as growing plants and animals is responsible for 19% of emissions, and he has backed companies working on meatless meat products, such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. He also mentioned Memphis Meats, which has now rebranded as Upside Foods, which takes cells from actual animals and grows products in laboratory environments. He stated that eventually these products will be very good even though their share is small today, and that it's important to innovate alternative ways to produce meat alternatives and climate conscious ways as not everyone will become vegan.

In addition to these solutions, Gates emphasized the importance of investing in clean energy research and development, as well as supporting policies that encourage deployment of clean energy. He also highlighted the importance of investing in carbon capture and storage technology, which can capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial facilities.

Furthermore, he stressed the importance of investing in research and development of new technologies that can help combat climate change, such as advanced nuclear power, which can produce low-carbon electricity, and new materials that can help reduce emissions from buildings and vehicles. He also emphasized the importance of investing in research and development of new agricultural practices that can help reduce emissions from farming and land use.

Overall, Bill Gates' message is clear: even though we will not be able to avoid going over 1.5 degrees, we can still take action to mitigate the effects of climate change, and that requires investing in innovation, supporting policies that encourage deployment of clean energy, and taking personal actions to reduce our own carbon footprint.