Billionaire investor and philanthropist Bill Gates called on world leaders on Tuesday to adapt to extreme weather and focus on improving health outcomes rather than temperature reduction targets ahead of the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
COP30 will be held November 10-21 in the port city of Belem in Brazil's lower Amazon region. Countries are due to present updated national climate commitments and assess progress on renewable energy targets agreed at previous summits.
The world has spent the last decade working towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average by mid-century - something that remains well off-track.
While climate change was serious, it was "not civilization-ending", Gates posted on his personal blog. He wrote that rather than focus on temperature as the best measure of progress, climate resilience would be better built by strengthening health and prosperity.
He called for a shift in focus toward improving human welfare, particularly in vulnerable regions, through investments in energy access, healthcare, and agricultural resilience.
These areas, he argued, offered more equitable benefits than temperature goals and should be central to climate strategies discussed at COP30.
Gates, who has invested billions to accelerate clean technology innovation through his climate-focused venture network, Breakthrough Energy, also challenged policymakers and donors to scrutinise whether climate aid was being spent effectively.
He urged them to use data to maximise impact, and called on investors to back companies developing high-impact clean technologies so they could more quickly lower costs.
He said direct deaths from natural disasters have fallen 90% over the last century to between 40,000 and 50,000 annually, largely due to better warning systems and more resilient infrastructure.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the World Meteorological Organization last week urged countries to implement disaster warning systems to protect people against extreme weather.
The WMO said that in the past five decades, weather, water and climate-related hazards have killed more than 2 million people, with 90% of those deaths occurring in developing countries.
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The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
Twelve people have been arrested in connection with an alleged extreme right-wing terrorism plot targeting a major Islamic gathering in Suffolk, prompting counter-terrorism police to declare a major incident and bring the event to an early close.
Ukraine and a group of key Western allies have launched a new air defence coalition to develop a European anti-ballistic missile system that will complement existing defences and reduce reliance on the costly U.S.-made Patriot system.
Two endangered loggerhead sea turtles have been released into the Mediterranean from Türkiye's Antalya province as part of a conservation project to track their migration and strengthen protection efforts.
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city of Shusha on 13-14 July, to discuss journalism’s role in peacebuilding, restoring public trust and tackling challenges.
The U.S. has launched fresh strikes on Iran after Tehran targeted a container ship and said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also claimed to have expanded attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.
Typhoon Bavi, the strongest storm to hit the eastern coast of mainland China this year, brought heavy rain, strong winds, flooding and landslides after making landfall in Zhejiang province on Sunday. More than 2.8 million people were evacuated to safety ahead of the storm.
President Ilham Aliyev is holding his annual question-and-answer session with international journalists at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan.
Qatar is mourning the death of its former ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who has passed away at the age of 74.
Two endangered loggerhead sea turtles have been released into the Mediterranean from Türkiye's Antalya province as part of a conservation project to track their migration and strengthen protection efforts.
Typhoon Bavi, the strongest storm to hit the eastern coast of mainland China this year, brought heavy rain, strong winds, flooding and landslides after making landfall in Zhejiang province on Sunday. More than 2.8 million people were evacuated to safety ahead of the storm.
China has maintained its highest-level rainstorm warning after Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the country's eastern coast, urging large-scale evacuations and emergency preparations across several provinces amid fears of severe flooding and landslides
As a wildfire swept through the mountains toward rural Andalusian villages near Los Gallardos in southern Spain, residents faced a life-or-death decision. They had to choose between sheltering from the smoke or risking evacuation through rapidly spreading flames.
Known for its rich history and mountain landscapes, Azerbaijan's Gabala district is attracting visitors with another seasonal highlight. Vast lavender fields are becoming a key attraction in the region's growing agritourism sector.
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