‘I am not part of the problem’: Bill Gates says his private jet and climate activism are compatible

Bill Gates has shrugged off allegations that he’s a hypocrite for climate campaigning while travelling by private jet.

In an interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan last week, Gates addressed the accusation by saying he offsets his family’s carbon footprint and contributes to solutions.

“I buy the gold standard of funding - Climeworks - to do direct air capture that far exceeds my family's carbon footprint. And I spend billions of dollars on climate innovation,” Gates responds during the Kenya-based interview.

“I'm comfortable with the idea that not only am I not part of the problem… but also - through the billions that my Breakthrough Energy Group is spending - that I'm part of the solution…

“So, you know, should I stay at home and not come to Kenya and learn about farming and malaria?”

When asked why he can’t use Microsoft Teams instead of flying to the far flung destinations where his foundation operates, he argues, “I don't think you can understand this remotely.” Gates adds that he hopes to eradicate malaria in his lifetime.

Emissions from air travel are a significant contributor to climate change, accounting for around four per cent of human-induced global warming.

Private jets are 10 times more ‘carbon intensive’ than commercial planes on average per passenger and 50 times more polluting than trains, research by the European Federation for Transport & Environment (T&E) shows.

That’s because occupancy levels are typically low on private jets. They are also often used for shorter journeys. Although commercial flights use more fuel per hour, they have a far greater passenger capacity than a private jet and therefore produce fewer emissions per person. On longer journeys, private jets may need to land and take off more often for