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Bill Gates has invested billions over the last two decades to help fight climate change. But in a new blog post, he argues that world is too focused on cutting short-term emissions. “The doomsday outlook is causing much of the climate community to focus too much on near-term emissions goals,” he writes, calling for a “strategic pivot” to focus on “improving lives” by focusing development dollars more on agriculture and disease and poverty eradication. The logic is flawed, and built on a series of false trade-offs that ignore how interconnected climate and development goals are. Gates criticizes the “doomsday” view that climate change will “decimate civilization” in a few decades and writes that “it will not lead to humanity’s demise.” Because of the progress already made on climateand since humanity will survivehe argues we should now be more focused on alleviating human suffering rather than continuing to so intently focus on rising temperatures. But climate scientists do not argue that civilization itself will end. Instead, they say, hurricanes, heat waves, and other climate disasters are already killing people, destroying homes and infrastructure, making it harder to grow food, and making life more difficult and expensive in other ways. The longer we wait to cut emissions, the worse those problems will continue to get, and the harder it will be to adapt. Human suffering is directly linked to whether or not emissions are curbed now. Gatess essay uses really false framing that pits improving peoples lives against science-based temperature and emissions goals that are intrinsically connected, says Rachel Cleetus, senior policy director for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. If you look around the world right now, climate change is directly undermining human development goals, poverty eradication, and health goals. You just have to look at the disruption from the climate-supercharged Hurricane Melissa to see an example of that. A report this week from the medical journal the Lancet explains that the impacts of climate change are creating an unprecedented threat to the health and survival of people globally, with millions already dying unnecessarily each year. That threat keeps growing. With higher temperatures and more rain, mosquitoes can thrive in new areas, increasing malaria risk, for example. These are all directly connected, Cleetus says. You can’t solve these complex development and health challenges if you ignore climate change. Gates argues that temperature goals are getting in the way of focusing on improving global poverty. But the most ambitious temperature goal in the Paris climate agreementto limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsiuscame from poor island nations who saw that sea level rise would hit them first. “Bill Gates has the audacity as a billionaire to say, ‘Well, climate people don’t care about the poor and the developing world,’ when it’s like, dude, the temperature stabilization framework in many ways came from the poor and the developing world,” says Leah Stokes, a political science professor at the University of California Santa Barbara. “Why do we have the 1.5 degree target? Because these least-developed countries, small island nations, banded together to say, ‘This is what we want.’ It wasn’t the big rich countries pushing that.” Having the temperature goal was critical, and a follow-up report from the IPCC talking about how much emissions would need to fall by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. “That’s a timeline that policymakers can actually wrap their heads around,” Stokes says. It led to Biden’s ambitious climate policy in the U.S., and though Trump has reversed that, it also spurred states, other countries, and companies to set short-term goals. Gates suggests that we shouldnt cut funding for health and development to fight climate change. But thats a straw man argument. When the Trump administration slashed spending on international health, it didnt move that money to climate programs. Globally, the funding comes from different sources. Its not the same money, says Jigar Shah, co-managing director for Multiplier, a cleantech consulting firm, who previously ran the loan programs office at the Department of Energy. USAID is not spending money on clean energy. The money for clean energy is coming from the private sector, and most of this stuff is now so cost-effective and so profitable, its not even coming from blended finance. Its coming from pure private sector dollars. Gates argues that communities can adapt to short-term climate impacts, and that economic growth will help avoid more deaths from climate changeif more people can afford air conditioners, for example, that will save lives. But that overlooks the limits of economic growth and resilience in the face of repeated disasters. Theres no way for economies to grow when theyre getting slammed again and again by climate-fueled disasters, Cleetus says. The essay also suggests that economic growth in developing countries is at odds with climate policy. Theres not a single person in the world thats making that argument, says Shah. None of the poor countries have ever been required to reduce their emissions. At the same time, as renewables have become the cheapest source of electricity, developing countries can affordably build out energy access without steeply increasing emissions. Pakistan, for instance, imported the third most solar panels of any country in the world in 2024. The entire solar revolution of the last three years in Pakistan was done with private sector capital and DIY videos on WhatsApp, Shah says. Gates seems to suggest that it’s fine to wait to cut emissions further, because better technology (much of which is being supported with his investments) is on the horizon. But since climate change is a cumulative problem, waiting another decade to cut emissions means that we could easily pass critical tipping points. That’s the biggest contradiction in his argument: If he wants to protect lives and livelihoods, cutting emissions does need to happen now. “What the science is showing is within the next decade, if we don’t sharply curtail heat-trapping emissions, there’s a real potential to blow right past the various agreement climate goals,” Cleetus says. “That can unlock feedback loops in the earth system that we cannot turn back even if we reduce emissions in the future.” Gates urges world leaders at COP 30, this year’s global climate conference, to “prioritize the things that have the greatest impact on human welfare,” rather than centering emissions cuts. The ideas are probably unlikely to have much of an impact on what actually happens at the conference. But the messaging is bad for climate action globally. “I think the impact is more about piling on to a sense that climate change isn’t really something we should worry about,” says Stokes. Of course it makes sense to continue to develop better, affordable climate tech. The companies that Gates’s Breakthrough Ventures has backed can play a meaningful role. But Gates could do more to help scale up the clean tech that’s ready now. While startups can also help later, “I think it’s important to recgnize that if you’re going to reduce climate emissions at scale and make electricity bills more affordable in this moment, you have to deploy technologies that are already at scale,” says Shah. “We have so many technologies that are stalled at, like, 5% of penetration,” Shah says. “We have 5% of our rooftops in the United States, maybe 6% now, with solar panels on them. Australia is at 30%. How do we go from 5% to 30%? We’re figuring that out today. I would love his help on that.”
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E-Commerce
The news that Microsoft is making 9,000 workers redundant this year, with a focus on jettisoning managers, has sent ripples through the business world. Andy Jassey, Amazons CEO, explicitly said this summer that AI advances will lead to job cuts. So its no wonder that workers all over the world, including one in five Gen Z workers, are “very concerned” that AI will take their job in the next two years (with Americans being more concerned than Europeans), and 32% of U.S. workers believe that AI will lead to fewer job opportunities. AI has advanced to encompass a vast range of skills, not only data-driven ones such as coding and debugging, but also more managerial tasks, including generating reports and managing schedules. With this technology snapping at managers heels and the worry about remaining relevant in a digitally driven world, how can you future-proof your management role and survive the AI purge? The answer lies in developing your human-centric skills. Valuing human-centric skills For years, the value of human-centric skills, such as empathy, active listening, and effective communication, has been diminished by the label “soft,” in opposition to “hard” skills like writing code or analyzing data, which are more easily quantified. In a world rapidly and increasingly reshaped by AI and automation, these distinctions are under scrutiny. Were seeing that its the hard skills that AI can replicate incredibly easily, whilst soft skills remain the preserve of humans and are becoming increasingly crucial as managers need to navigate their teams through tumultuous change. Theyre so important, in fact, that they need a name change. Theyre no longer soft; theyre now the imperative “power” skills that will future-proof your management career. More than just a semantic shift, this is a fundamental re-framing of how “soft” skills are perceived and valued. No longer dismissed as inferior or fluffy, these power skills need to be appreciated as the foundations of excellent management that will amplify the effectiveness of every hard skill you possessthink nuanced judgment, strategic thinking, genuine connection, and intuition. And, in fact, power skills can be quantified; we can clearly see the impact they have on a workforce when used effectively by managers. Because good management and engagement matter. Gallups annual State of the Global Workplace research has shown that a manager accounts for 70% of the variance in employee engagement, which feeds into the fact that at least a third of the variance in productivity between countries and companies is due to poor management. However, once someone is empowered by their manager to recognize and utilize their strengths daily, theyre nearly six times more engaged. Businesses with highly engaged staff experience 78% less absenteeism and significantly lower turnover rates. The answer is a question So how can you develop these power skills and ensure youre using them to truly engage the team you manage? The answer lies in learning to ditch the command-and-control approach to management and use an enquiry-led approach instead. Adopting coaching-related behaviors, which include developing situational awareness and knowing when and how to ask purposeful questions, is the core premise of a popular new approach to management known as Operational Coaching. Proven effective in large-scale research conducted by the London School of Economics, adopting this new approach as part of a managers everyday style has been shown to shift the paradigm from directive management to facilitative leadership, while managers also generated a 74x return on investment. Learning to adopt an Operational Coaching style of management isnt about telling employees what to do, but rather about guiding them to discover their own solutions, leveraging their strengths and taking ownership of their contributions. At its heart is the power skill of thought-provoking questioning, where instead of jumping in to solve every problem themselves, managers ask powerful questions that encourage employees to engage in self-reflection, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This approach empowers individuals to take ownership of their challenges and solutions. Its then supported by active listening and empathy, strengths-based development, and continuous feedback and reflection. Described as the missing superpower, this style of management fosters critical thinking, which in turn builds confidence as employees are empowered to unlock their potential. Its particularly suited to working with millennials and Gen Z workers, who favor a collaborative and supportive work environment over rigid hierarchies, and crave purpose in their work with regular feedback and opportunities for growth. Operational Coaching also helps managers regain valuable time as it shifts the weight of routine problem-solving from themselves to their team members. This capacity can be reinvested in higher-value work, while empowering employees to develop their own skills. Measurable improvements in employee engagement levels, a direct result of the change in their managers approach, lead to higher profitability, increased productivity, and better business outcomes, including, for example, sales and customer service. A shift in whats valued In an era of rapid change driven by the democratization of knowledge through AI, human-centric skills that promote engagement, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking will be the key differentiator between managers who can and those who will be displaced from their roles. By moving away from a typically directive approach, managers who adopt an Operational Coaching style will cultivate environments of trust and psychological safety, where employees can experiment and take risks without fear of blame. As routine tasks become increasingly automated, our human value must shift towards how we think, adapt, interact, and lead. Its time to stop viewing these as passive, soft traits and instead appreciate them as active, powerful skills that hold the key to future-proofing your role as a manager who can get things done by mobilizing and enabling the skills and talents of others.
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E-Commerce
When the new Chevy Bolt arrives early next year, it will start at $29,995, making it one of the most affordable new EVs in the U.S. Its thousands of dollars cheaper than Teslas “affordable” new versions of its Model 3 and Model Y. It’s also significantly less expensive than the average gas car, and like other EVs, it’s cheaper to operate. GM faces major headwinds with the loss of the $7,500 tax credit for electric cars, and it’s scaled back production plans and cut jobs in response. But the new Bolt is so affordable that it could win over consumers even without the incentive. We wanted to get that under-$30,000 number, says Jeremy Short, chief engineer on GMs Bolt team. For Short and his team at GM, achieving that price required some creativity under constraint. Below, Short details how GM kept the price low. [Photo: Chevrolet] A new battery Instead of using standard lithium-ion chemistry, GM turned to a different type of battery that eliminates expensive materials like cobalt and nickel. Called lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, theyre cheaper, longer-lasting, and safer than other lithium-ion batteries, though they dont store as much energy. Its the first time that GM has used this type of battery. We had to develop this because we had an aggressive target to get to for price, says Short. And this is one of those things that balanced price and performance. The company also engineered a new low-cost, low-weight battery pack. The battery can also charge more quickly than the battery in the previous version of the Bolt. When the original Bolt was developed as the first affordable EV with long range, fast-charging infrastructure was limited. Many EV drivers also charge at home most of the time. But the engineers knew that faster charging is a priority for customers. The new Bolt can charge from 10% to 80% in 26 minutes, with a peak speed of around 2.5 times faster than the older model. [Photo: Chevrolet] We were really in tune with things in 22 that customers thought there was some potential to improve, Short says. Top of that list was the charging rate. The range is also slightly better than the previous version, at 255 miles versus 247 miles per charge. The new Bolt is also now compatible with Teslas Supercharger network. Now, Short says, a vehicle that had a reputation as a commuter car is “a bonafide road trip car.” When the company held a launch event in Los Angeles earlier this month, the engineering team drove four of the cars from Detroit to California. “At two of our lunch stops, we fully charged to 100%,” he says. “We had to start limiting our charges because we couldn’t even eat lunch fast enough.” The company is temporarily importing the batteries from China, subject to steep tariffs. But its also ramping up production at one of its U.S. factories, which will begin in 2027. (The company has said that it plans to absorb some of the costs of tariffs across all of its vehicles, with an estimated $3.5 billion and $4 billion hit on its bottom line in 2026.) [Photo: Chevrolet] Economies of scale The new Bolt also adds other new features, including around 20 safety and driver assist features that the last model didn’t have. Features like adaptive cruise used to be optional, Short says, but now are standard. That meant adding hardware like sensors. Extra features made staying on budget more of a challenge, but it was possible, he says, because of the new battery and economies of scale on other parts. To make those economy of scale happen, GM borrowed components from its other EVs to help keep the new Bolts price down. When the original Bolt came out, it was a bespoke architecture, says Short. It had a unique battery, a unique motor, unique everything. Now, after GMs heavy investment in electric vehicles, it had more resources to work with. [Photo: Chevrolet] The Bolt uses the same front drive motor as the Equinox EV, the same integrated power electronics, the same drive mounts, and other parts, including a heat pump that helps make the car run efficiently when the heat is on. The center screen in the vehicle, with the ability toscreen YouTube and HBO Maxsomething that drivers can use when theyre sitting at a public chargeris borrowed from the brands mid-size trucks. Adapting the parts meant redesigning them, in many cases, for the much smaller Bolt, but it helped make a significant difference on cost. By teaming up with other programs, we were able to get some economies of scale for what are truly better parts than we had before, Short says. “Between ourselves and the Equinox EV, we’re going to be the volume players for Chevy in EVs.”
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E-Commerce
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