Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Bill Gates met today at the UN COP26 Climate Change Conference in Scotland and agreed that Israel would to set up a joint working group on climate change with the Gates Foundation. Israel's Minister of Energy Karine Elharrar also participated in the meeting.
After yesterday telling the plenary session of the conference that he plans to make Israel a global leader in climate tech, today Bennett stressed to Gates the importance of mobilizing the business community in the global battle against climate change. "Israel is known as the startup nation, and I think that it’s time we pivot and channel our national energy, which is the energy of the people, the brainpower, to fighting climate change."
He added that he would work to remove obstacles in Israel in this field and remarked that Israel was involved in regional cooperation with its neighbors in energy and water. Bennett said, "The countries in our region have a lot of land but also a lack of water. We don't have land. Israel is a very small country but we do have the ability to create energy and to create water."
In another development British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized to Elharrar, who was unable to access the conference yesterday. Elharrar suffers from multiple sclerosis and is in a wheelchair and was denied access for security reasons. Today she was able to enter the conference area as part of Bennett's entourage.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 2, 2021.
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