How to Avoid a Climate Disaster

Published in February 2021, 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster' presents Bill Gates's framework for addressing climate change through the lens of "green premiums"—the cost difference between zero-carbon and carbon-emitting options. Gates organizes the problem into five major emission categories: how we make things, plug in, grow things, get around, and keep warm and cool. For each sector, he examines current technologies and innovations needed to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The book combines Gates's experience in global health and development with climate science, arguing that solutions must be economically viable for developing nations, not just wealthy countries. Gates emphasizes the role of innovation, government policy, and private investment in closing the gap between current emissions and net-zero targets. The work became influential in climate policy discussions and was widely reviewed as an accessible entry point for understanding climate solutions beyond renewable energy alone.