Billionaire Bill Gates doubled down on his efforts to combat Climate Change despite flying around in a private jet.
BBC’s Amol Rajan asked Gates during an interview, “What do you say to the charge that if you are a Climate Change campaigner, but you also travel around the world in a private jet, you’re a hypocrite?”
Gates replied, “Well, I buy the gold standard of funding Climeworks to do direct air capture that far exceeds my family’s carbon footprint.”
He added, “I spend billions of dollars on climate innovation. So, you know, should I stay at home and not come to Kenya and learn about farming and malaria — Anyway. I mean, I’m comfortable with the idea that not only am I not part of the problem — by paying for the offsets, but also through the billions that my Breakthrough Energy group is spending, that I’m part of the solution.”
Watch his comments below:
He received significant criticism on Twitter following his remarks.
One user responded, writing, “He’s part of the solution all right, assuming the solution is depopulation.”
Video producer Sean Fitzgerald suggested it is “funny that he frames this as private jet or just stay home. He wouldn’t even consider flying with you disgusting plebs commercially, even in first class. Also carbon offsets are the new church’s sin indulgence.”
Writer Theo Fleury said Gates has “zero ability to self reflect. Egomaniac. He thinks he’s untouchable and should never be held to account.”
Columnist Grace Curley wrote, “Translation for his bs response… ‘I’m a hypocrite.'”
Read more responses below:
Additionally, during the interview, Gates explained how developed nations can reduce emissions.
“What the rich countries owe to the entire world is that they need to get their emissions down to zero as fast as they can,” he said.
Gates added, “But that’s not enough because they, you know, they have so … much in the way of resources.”
The billionaire suggested they “also need to invent new approaches so that the cost of being green, the cost of not having emissions in all areas, gets down to be zero.”