The world must think about why Gates shifted his climate stance

The philanthropist has grown sceptical of solving global systemic problems with universal top-down response measures

- ARUN MAIRA

(REUTERS)

Donald Trump and Bill Gates disagree over whether climate change is a problem. But Gates accepts that the way it is currently being managed is flawed. In his October essay, 'Three Tough Truths about Climate: A New Way to Look at the Problem,' the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist argues that climate change is not the only problem humanity must address this century to improve the well-being of citizens in the US and around the world. This places Gates closer to the US president's position than before, but they differ on what those other problems are and whether to focus only on the US or the whole world.

In essence, there are five fundamental flaws with the present top-down, scientific (and principally economic) approach to solving global systemic problems:

One, GDP cannot measure the health of a nation: A nation is a complex self-adaptive system composed of three such systems: its natural environment, its human society and its economy. GDP is a measure of only economic growth. Its impact on the health of the other two complex systems, which are essential for sustainable GDP growth, are not reflected accurately (or even at all) in national economic accounts. Growth that does not create more employment and raise incomes adequately at the lower half of the pyramid weakens the economy's foundations. Growth that consumes resources from the natural environment faster than the environment can renew itself soon runs out of resources to feed GDP growth.