Key Impact Points:
- Corporate Climate Pivot: 2024 saw major corporations and investors embrace climate technologies, marking a significant shift in the fight against climate change.
- Tech Deployment Era: The challenge now is deploying commercially viable climate tech at scale across industries to reduce emissions and boost business efficiency.
- Industry Leaders Step Up: Companies like Siemens and American Airlines are leading the way by investing in climate technologies that both cut emissions and strengthen their future business prospects.
A Turning Point in 2024
In 2024, Bill Gates noted a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change, drawing parallels to his experiences in global health philanthropy in the early 2000s. Back then, the world successfully scaled up vaccines and treatments for preventable diseases, dramatically reducing child mortality. Now, climate tech is at a similar inflection point, transitioning from innovation to deployment.
Climate Tech Moves from Innovation to Deployment
“Climate tech is no longer just about reducing emissions—it’s about business survival,” Gates stated, highlighting the shift in corporate mindset. The technologies to cut humanity’s greenhouse gas footprint exist. The focus now is on scaling these innovations to have a real impact.
Gates emphasized, “The next challenge is deployment—scaling these technologies across the economy. This is something large corporations are very good at.”
Siemens: Decarbonizing with Innovation
A prime example is Siemens, a global industrial giant, aiming to decarbonize its business by 2030. Siemens has turned to innovations like LuxWall’s vacuum-insulated windows, which will save energy costs without relying on government subsidies. Gates explained, “The math makes the purchase a no-brainer.”
Change the World - Subscribe Now
American Airlines: Seizing the Future of Aviation
Gates also highlighted American Airlines’ bold investments in sustainable aviation, partnering with Breakthrough Energy to tackle contrail-related emissions and invest in companies like Infinium, which produces ultra-low carbon eFuels. These fuels can cut aviation emissions by up to 90%, offering a crucial solution for the future of air travel.
“American Airlines isn’t just future-proofing—they’re future-seizing,” Gates pointed out, illustrating how early investments in climate tech can position companies as leaders in their industries.
The Clean Industrial Revolution
The opportunity spans far beyond aviation. Gates pointed to innovations in manufacturing, such as green steel and net-zero cement, and in agriculture, where new methods replace synthetic fertilizers with microbes.
“These innovations are ready for prime time. They’re not science projects—they’re science products,” Gates said, underscoring the commercial viability of these technologies.
Who Will Join the Climate Tech Movement?
Looking ahead, Gates left an open question: “Going into 2025, the big question is: Who will join them?”
The challenge—and opportunity—lies in which corporations and investors will take the lead in scaling climate tech and shaping the future of industries around the world.
Related Article: Unlocking Capital for Climate Tech Projects: The 12 Keys to Scaling-up
