Bill Gates Urges Wealthy Countries to Take Responsibility and Achieve Net-Zero Emissions

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said wealthy countries have a responsibility to the world and must achieve net-zero emissions themselves.

Gates made the remarks on 5 May 2025 at the opening dinner of Ecosperity Week in Singapore, an event organised by Temasek. During a fireside chat with Ravi Menon, Singapore’s Ambassador for Climate Action, Gates said that regardless of whether the world as a whole ultimately reaches the target, “rich countries themselves have to get to net zero.” 

He said there were ways to bring emissions down to levels low enough that rising temperatures would no longer pose a significant problem. This meant that not every country necessarily had to achieve “absolute net zero”, but wealthy countries needed to take the lead and demonstrate that viable solutions existed to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.

The United Nations defines net zero as “cutting carbon emissions to a small amount of residual emissions that can be absorbed and durably stored by nature and other carbon dioxide removal measures, leaving zero in the atmosphere.” 

Gates also called for the world to be bolder in pursuing innovative investments to tackle climate change. Although he described himself as a firm believer in innovation, he said that achieving net-zero emissions worldwide by the end of 2050 currently appeared unrealistic.

The United Nations has said that, to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. 

News source: Central News Agency (CNA)