This time, we discuss Bill Gates' recent essay on climate change, which sparked significant debate and controversy ahead of COP30. We analyse Gates' main points, the public's reaction, and the implications of his statements. The essay has been irritating (inconvenient, even) for the climate community for obvious reasons, though the fuel among climate denialists was probably an unplanned outcome and perhaps a little inconvenient for Bill Gates himself too. In the end, we ask what is the responsibility of someone so influential, and how much is that even worth debating?

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Sources

• BIll Gates: Three tough truths about climate (2025), https://www.gatesnotes.com/home/home-page-topic/reader/three-tough-truths-about-climate


• The Atlantic: Bill Gates Said the Quiet Part Out Loud (https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2025/11/climate-cop-gates-memo/684903/))


• United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (May 2021): Sri Lanka Restricts and Bans the Import of Fertilizers and Agrochemicals (https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Sri+Lanka+Restricts+and+Bans+the+Import+of+Fertilizers+and+AgrochemicalsNew+DelhiSri+Lanka05-14-2021&utmsource=chatgpt.com))