Deep staffing cuts were made at Breakthrough Energy, according to an internal memo sent in the umbrella organization funded by Bill Gates that concentrates on a wide range of climate issues, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, has invested billions of dollars from his own fortune to combat climate change. In the past decade he has established himself as one of the leading voices in encouraging businesses and governments to get on board.
The cutbacks at Breakthrough Energy demonstrate how Gates is adapting his efforts for the reality of the Trump administration, as the Breakthrough policy team in the U.S. was not likely to have much effect in Washington, according to three people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly, the Times reported.
The team in the U.S., which works on public policy issues, was heavily hit by the cuts, as was Breakthrough Energy's unit in Europe and most of its employees working on partnerships with other climate organizations.
But when asked about the cuts, a Gates spokeswoman insisted that he "remains as committed as ever to advancing the clean energy innovations needed to address climate change. His work in this area will continue and is focused on helping drive reliable affordable, clean energy solutions that will enable people everywhere to thrive."
The sources said that instead of attempting to influence policy, Gates has turned his focus to building clean energy companies through the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst program, Breakthrough Energy Ventures and the Breakthrough Energy Fellows, according to The New York Times.
The cuts in the company reportedly did not affect those areas, which fund start-up companies and entrepreneurs working on a range of renewable technologies.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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