Bill Gates on the charm of concrete. This miracle substance is everywhere and millions and millions of tons of it are produced every year contributing heavily to greenhouse emissions, but what if it could be made sustainably? Gates turns to technological innovations for answers to this and other questions about how we manufacture the materials that the modern world is made of. William Hope reads.

Bill Gates is a technologist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and in his new book he brings these three strands together to propose an urgent, comprehensive and accessible plan to get the planet to net-zero emissions, before the worst effects of climate change are upon us.

He sets out the climate science simply and explores initiatives like wind power, which are already contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but he goes on to argue that on their own, these existing methods aren't enough to eradicate the 51 billion tons emitted across the globe annually. So he then turns to the innovations which promise to get us all the way to zero emissions, from new processes for making steel and cement, to developing the science fundamental to creating plant and cell-based meats. Lastly, he sets out a roadmap for governments and policymakers to adopt, to ensure that in every continent and country our precious planet remains inhabitable. Although he makes it plain that it’s going be a hard journey, his ideas are authoritative, expansive and inspiring.

Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard Show less