Microsoft founder Bill Gates has teamed up with Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma to bring about a monumental change to climate and energy research. This team, along with other tech entrepreneurs, is here to fulfil the role that world governments should really be doing: providing research funding.
Previous growths in technology, industry and education have all been supported by government funding, but in a video released by Gates he states that funding isn’t enough to solve this pressing problem. You can think of this as a venture capitalist organisation from the world’s tech leaders, focused exclusively on reversing climate change.
“We must also add the skills and resources of leading investors with experience in driving innovation from the lab to the marketplace,” says Gates in his video. “The private sector knows how to build companies, evaluate the potential for success, and take the risks that lead to taking innovative ideas and bringing them to the world.”
Traditionally, a VC firm would be looking to make money from their investment, and that’s no different here either. However, Gates states that this group promises to link interesting energy projects with investors interested in more than just a quick turnaround of capital. It’s a platform for launching new projects aimed at reducing energy usage and cutting down on global emissions.
The initiative’s announcement comes at the same time as the UN Climate Control Conference in Paris. COP 21 will see 20 countries looking towards doubling their energy research investments, and taking on the thorny subject of climate change. Perhaps, with some of our greatest tech minds on the case too, there is hope for a greener future.
Find out why Greenpeace believes Britain can be using 85% renewable energy by 2030.
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