Bill Gates Becoming a Grandfather's Worry: "Concerned About the World My Grandchildren Will Live In"

"Must Achieve Carbon Zero by 2050"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Bill Gates (67), the founder of Microsoft (MS), announced that he will become a grandfather next year and urged that we must lead changes now to ensure that climate change does not become a disaster in the world where all grandchildren will live.

According to major foreign media on the 21st (local time), Gates revealed on his blog at the end of the year, "My eldest daughter will have a child next year."

He said, "Becoming a grandfather makes me emotional," and added, "Thinking about the world my grandchildren will be born into, I increasingly want to help ensure that all people's children and grandchildren have the opportunity to be born and live well." He continued, "We must reduce global greenhouse gases by 2050," expressing concern that "if we do not achieve carbon neutrality, our grandchildren will grow up in a dramatically worsened world."

In particular, he explained that "the people suffering the most from climate change are the poor," and that he is responding to climate change and the spread of clean energy through the Gates Foundation and Breakthrough Energy, in which he has invested.

Gates emphasized, "Achieving carbon neutrality will be the most difficult thing humanity has ever done," and said, "Within 30 years, we must innovate all physical economic activities such as product manufacturing, transportation, power generation, food cultivation, and ways to stay warm or cool."

Gates is called a 'climate change evangelist.' His interest, which was mainly in the information technology (IT) field, shifted to climate change response. The title of the book he released last year, 22 years after publishing 'The Road Ahead' (1995) and 'Bill Gates @ The Speed of Thought' (1999), was 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.' In his book, he defined climate change as a major crisis for humanity and warned, "If we fail to solve the climate change problem, events comparable to the loss of life and economic pain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could occur regularly."

Furthermore, reflecting on the past three years during which COVID-19 spread, he said, "During this period, everyone experienced loss, such as losing loved ones, financial stability, or ways of life," and added, "Because of my position, I was isolated from these difficulties." He also said, "I too had to part with my father and my ex-wife Melinda French Gates." Gates lost his father in September 2020 and divorced Melinda after 27 years of marriage in May last year.

He said, "Melinda and I continue to operate our foundation together and have found a good new work rhythm, but I cannot deny that it was a year of great personal sorrow for me." They continue their charitable activities together through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.