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Corporate climate exodus: Nearly 900 major corporations pivot from "symbolic" climate commitments as Gates shifts focus from "doomsday" emissions cuts to human welfare

By bellecarter // 2025-11-04

• Nearly 900 companies—including major multinationals—have withdrawn from the UN-backed Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), rejecting rigid emissions mandates as economically unviable. The largest withdrawals came from Britain (151), the U.S. (129) and China (61).
• Corporate leaders cite financial and technical constraints, arguing that inflexible climate targets inflate costs, stifle innovation and harm competitiveness. Critics accuse SBTi of fostering "greenwashing" rather than measurable progress.
• Once a proponent of radical decarbonization, Gates now downplays "doomsday" climate narratives, prioritizing poverty reduction and disease prevention. He controversially stated he'd accept a 0.1 C temperature rise to eradicate malaria, reflecting a broader reassessment of climate policy trade-offs.
• The SBTi's struggles mirror past failures like the Kyoto Protocol, where binding targets were rejected for economic concerns. Companies now prioritize profitability over virtue signaling, signaling fatigue with elite-driven environmental mandates disconnected from market realities.
• The corporate revolt highlights a key tension—environmental goals must align with prosperity. Executives argue that profitability enables real sustainability investments, while activists decry the retreat.

In a stunning rebuke to United Nations-aligned climate policies, nearly 900 companies—including multinational corporations—have withdrawn from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global program requiring firms to align emissions cuts with international climate goals. The mass exodus reflects growing corporate skepticism of politically driven climate mandates that prioritize symbolic compliance over economic viability. Simultaneously, Bill Gates—long a proponent of radical decarbonization—has softened his apocalyptic rhetoric, urging a shift from emissions-focused "doomsday" scenarios toward poverty reduction and disease prevention. Together, these developments signal a turning point in the climate debate: economic pragmatism is clashing with elite-driven environmental mandates. The SBTi, backed by the UN Global Compact and other international bodies, requires member companies to set emissions targets deemed "science-based" by climate policymakers. However, 893 firms—roughly seven percent of participants—have now abandoned the initiative, with the highest withdrawals occurring in Great Britain (151 companies), the U.S. (129) and China (61). Corporate leaders frame the withdrawals as a necessary correction to policies that ignore financial and technical constraints. "Political climate policies that ignore economic limitations jeopardize long-term viability," noted one industry analyst. Many executives argue that rigid emissions targets inflate operating costs, stifle innovation and weaken competitiveness—particularly against firms in less regulated markets. Critics of the SBTi accuse it of fostering "greenwashing" rather than tangible progress. "The initiative became more about image management than measurable results," said a European business strategist. Some companies, while still pursuing voluntary sustainability efforts, now prioritize profitability as the foundation for meaningful environmental investment.

Gates' pivot: From "zero carbon" to human welfare

Gates, who once warned of an impending climate catastrophe, has notably recalibrated his messaging. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, he used to claim that human-produced carbon dioxide is the primary driver of global warming—a deceptive narrative pushed by globalists to justify draconian controls over energy, food and population, despite CO2 being essential for plant life and Earth's natural climate cycles. But in a recent memo titled "Three Tough Truths About Climate," the billionaire philanthropist argued that doomsday narratives distract from urgent humanitarian needs. "Climate change will not lead to humanity's demise," he wrote, emphasizing that fighting malaria and poverty should take precedence over marginal temperature reductions. Gates even posed a provocative trade-off: "I would let the temperature go up 0.1 degree to get rid of malaria." His stance aligns with growing dissent among economists who warn that aggressive decarbonization risks exacerbating energy poverty and diverting resources from life-saving interventions.

The rise and fall of climate corporatism

The SBTi's struggles echo past clashes between environmental idealism and economic reality. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, for instance, saw major emitters like the U.S. reject binding targets over competitiveness concerns. Similarly, the Paris Agreement relied on voluntary pledges—acknowledging the political impossibility of enforced global cuts. Today's corporate withdrawals suggest a broader fatigue with "climate corporatism," where multinationals publicly embrace activist goals while privately resisting costly mandates. As energy prices soar and supply chains strain, companies are prioritizing resilience over virtue signaling. The mass corporate exodus from the SBTi—and Gates' rhetorical shift—highlights a fundamental tension in climate policy: Can environmental goals succeed without undermining prosperity? While activists decry the withdrawals as backsliding, business leaders frame them as a necessary correction to unworkable mandates. The lesson for policymakers may be clear: lasting sustainability requires economic strength, not symbolic targets. As one executive summarized, "Profitability isn't the enemy of progress—it's the prerequisite." Whether this pragmatic approach gains traction globally remains to be seen, but for now, the climate agenda faces a formidable reality check. Watch the video below about Gates' plan to "fix global warming." This video is from Waking the Future channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

WattsUpWithThat.com Blackout-News.de BrightU.ai Brighteon.com

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