Bill Gates warns that global temperatures are likely to exceed 2 degrees

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Billionaire Bill Gates said on Friday that the world is likely to exceed the critical temperature threshold that scientists have long predicted. to caution It can result in serious and potentially irreversible impacts on people, wildlife and ecosystems.

Speaking to CNBC’s Tanya Breyer in the UAE at the COP28 climate conference, Gates said he was “definitely a glass half full” when it comes to the climate crisis, and that he was optimistic that the Dubai summit could help drive progress.

However, the Microsoft co-founder said that any progress in the climate fight would likely not be enough to prevent a 2 degree Celsius rise in global temperature.

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 pivotal opportunity to accelerate climate action at a time when the world is on track to record the hottest year on record and when extreme weather events are affecting all parts of the world.

“There is no dividing line where everything is terrible at a certain temperature,” Gates said on Friday.

“We’re going to have warming, probably above our targets, and that’s where adaptation comes in to say, ‘Okay, because of this warming, what you can do is very inexpensive, like better warning systems for bad weather events or better weather data to help.'” Farmers know when to plant “

Gates said it will be necessary to help the poorest people adapt to human-induced climate change and try to reduce damage to ecosystems, such as coral reefs.

“Fortunately, we have made enough progress that we will not face extremes such as 4 degrees [Celsius] Temperatures are rising, but unfortunately we may fail to achieve the two degree Celsius goal. “So, we will have adaptation as a priority,” Gates said.

At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), countries will for the first time assess how far they are off track to meet the goals of the landmark Paris Agreement. The 2015 agreement aims to “limit global warming to below 2 degrees, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.”

The world has already warmed By about 1.1 degrees CelsiusScientists say, after more than a century of burning fossil fuels, as well as unequal and unsustainable energy and land use.

In the run-up to the climate conference in Dubai, the United Nations Environment Programme to caution Current pledges under the Paris Agreement put the world on track for up to 2.9°C of warming above pre-industrial levels. UNEP said its findings reaffirm the urgent need for increased climate action.

The United Nations had previously said that the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius is considered the minimum.the highest rate“If humanity wants to avoid the worst that the climate crisis has in store.

Asked how he thinks about the challenges facing future generations in the context of the climate crisis, Gates replied: “Well, there are a lot of amazing things that are coming through human innovation, better medicines, and artificial intelligence that can help teach children different things. “

He continued: “At the same time, you know that we have polarization, climate change, so the situation is very dynamic.” “In general, I see a lot of positive things, but we need to prioritize avoiding those negatives because we don’t just want our children, we want many generations to have a better life than ours.”