In this clip from Makin Sense, Dr Frans Cronje discusses the significance of Bill Gates shifting his view on how severe the climate change issue is. He argues that this creates an opening for Western governments to step back from an economically damaging green agenda that has been pursued with little regard for trade offs and growth. Fellow Makin Sense regular Dr James Myburgh, Director of the Bremen Centre for Democratic Research (BRE DE RE) then asks whether this shift has changed how Western diplomats approach South Africa and their continued attempts to push green policies onto the country. Frans responds that many European governments remain committed to these policies, while failing to reckon with the downstream effect of slowing growth and keeping millions of poor South Africans trapped in poverty.