Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met on the sidelines of the United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Following their meeting on Tuesday, also attended by Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, they announced a joint working group between Israel and the Gates Foundation on the topic of climate change innovation.
“Israel is known as the startup nation and I think it’s time that we channel our national energy, which is the energy of the people, and the brainpower, to fighting climate change,” Bennett said at the start of the meeting.
“My big belief is that we can solve climate change if we accelerate innovation,” Gates said.
Bennett and Gates discussed the importance of recruiting the business sector in general, and the high-tech sector in particular, in the global fight against the climate crisis. Bennett said that he would act to remove impediments in Israel in this area, according to a statement from his office. He also said that Israel is working toward regional cooperation with its neighbors in the areas of energy and water.