Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has just released a broad new initiative on how the United States can take the lead in the fight against climate change. In the plan, Gates called for increased spending on clean energy research and the creation of a dedicated agency to lead these efforts.

"We need to bring revolutionary changes to the real economy of the world, which will require the wisdom, financial support and attention of the US federal government, because no one has the resources to drive the research we need," Gates said

Gates called for a substantial increase in clean energy research spending, which should be increased at least fourfold. He said the federal government spends about $7 billion a year on clean energy research, compared with more than $35 billion a year in medical research. We need to match energy research with medical research, which could help create more than 370000 jobs and push the clean energy agenda forward.

In addition to spending more money on research, Gates also called for the establishment of national energy innovation institutes, modelled on the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "This is the most important thing the United States can do to lead the world in innovation to address climate change," he wrote

Gates also made three suggestions for the establishment of the Energy Innovation Institute

This organization should be composed of several independent institutions focusing on specific fields, such as transportation decarbonization Institute, which can invent low-carbon fuels for difficult decarbonization areas such as aviation and shipping;

Each Research Institute under the energy innovation research institute should undertake various tasks, from basic research to commercialization, to make new research practical and cheap;

The Institute of energy innovation needs to be located all over the United States, just as the Department of energy or NASA has laboratories and research facilities all over the country.

In addition to creating clean energy research facilities and increasing spending, Gates also called for tax incentives and energy standards programs. Gates acknowledged that there are already some legislation in the works, such as the clean energy innovation and Employment Act and the US energy innovation act, but they have not yet been signed into formal laws. (small)

Source: Netease technology report, translated by Baidu