Bill Gates before COP30 argues that climate change does not mean doom

There will be no catastrophe, and the world must adapt to a new reality – this is how the billionaire’s latest statement can be summarized. Two weeks before the start of the COP30 summit, Bill Gates sparked a broad debate among activists and confusion among climate scientists. However, the summit in Belém seems to have bigger problems.

We are not facing doom

The founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world published an essay on his blog on October 28, 2025, which resonated widely in global media. What I want everyone at COP30 to know – he wrote in the introduction.

Bill Gates disagrees with the vision of a climate catastrophe in which civilization collapses within decades as a result of rising temperatures and extreme weather events. In his view, climate change is real, but humanity has already made enormous progress, and the fight to halt warming should not become a priority that overshadows everything else.

The billionaire does not deny climate change and recognizes that its consequences will be serious, especially for the poorest societies. In his opinion, it is enough to support current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and in most parts of the world, life will continue to develop normally. However, he believes that the money spent on climate action could be used more effectively.

Bill Gates advocates for helping those in need

Addressing participants of the climate summit beginning on November 10, 2025, in Brazil, Bill Gates calls for a change of strategy and for making the fight against poverty and disease – the greatest global challenges of today – the main goal.

COP30 is taking place at a time when it is especially important to get the most value out of every dollar spent on helping the poorest, writes the philanthropist. In his view, it is better to invest in solutions that help developing countries provide people with a decent life and, at the same time, support adaptation to climate change, for example through innovations in agriculture. As an example of a cause in need of support, he points to the Gavi vaccine fund for children, highlighting its lack of full financing for the coming years.

According to Gates, innovation is key to providing everyone with clean and affordable energy and electric vehicles, as well as transforming farms to be more productive and less destructive. Thanks to innovation, he emphasizes, we will learn to rebuild destroyed homes and infrastructure so that they are more resistant to future disasters.

Health and prosperity are the best defense against climate change, writes the philanthropist, while expressing opposition to Donald Trump’s policy of cutting funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

COP30 already drowning in controversy

Bill Gates’s statement met with widespread criticism. Some accuse him of hypocrisy, recalling his earlier dramatic visions, including those expressed in his 2021 book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. Others argue that it is precisely the fight against climate change that will help the poorest. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, called Gates’s essay pointless, vague, unhelpful, and confusing.

Even without the billionaire’s comments, COP30 has been surrounded by controversy and tension. Back in August, reports surfaced that representatives of the poorest countries might not attend because they could not afford accommodation in Belém. There were also reports that a four-lane highway had been built for the summit, clearing hectares of Amazon rainforest – something local authorities deny, citing earlier investment plans. The Brazilian government also faced heavy criticism after granting an oil exploration license at the mouth of the Amazon just weeks before the conference.

Analysts also point to a problematic attendance list – or rather, the lack of it. Donald Trump will not attend COP30. The presidents of India and China, the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, will also be absent. Compared to COP28 in Dubai, where 150 national leaders were present, fewer than 60 are expected in Belém. Under these circumstances, it is hard to hope for real and constructive change.

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