climate change debate

Eurasia Group’s Gerald Butts: US climate change debate has moved from finger-pointing to solutions

Eurasia Group’s Gerald Butts: US climate change debate has moved from finger-pointing to solutions

Five years ago, for the US president to say it's time to move away from fossil fuels sounded like an episode of The West Wing. Not anymore, says Eurasia Group Vice Chairman Gerald Butts. In his view, the climate debate in the West has (finally) moved from who's responsible, to what we're going to do about it — "much more productive ground." Butts admits the enormous inertia in the US political system that'll fight change on climate, but ultimately believes that "when you take the very long view, the direction of travel of has set in."

A pattern of colorful security shields with each having a check mark in the center

Sponsored posts

Helping voters navigate information with confidence

Advances in generative AI are transforming the information environment around elections, making it harder to distinguish authentic content from misleading or manipulated material. Ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, Microsoft is highlighting efforts to help voters access reliable election sources and make informed decisions. The lessons from this work extend beyond a single election, helping people build the skills needed to navigate information thoughtfully and confidently in an AI-enabled world. Read more here.