Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's video remarks, today (Friday, 23 April 2021), to the Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change hosted by US President Joe Biden:
"I thank President Biden and his team for hosting this important virtual summit. I have known President Biden for some forty years. I know the strength of his commitment for stronger action on climate. This is a commitment we in Israel fully share. I have pledged to reduce Israel's carbon footprint and to completing a successful transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy by 2050.
“We have already made crucial progress in two specific areas. In coal, we have substantially reduced our dependency. In fact, Israel is a global leader in cutting coal consumption. By 2025, that's four years from now, barring unforeseen circumstances, Israel will no longer be burning coal. Period. In solar energy, over the last five years we have increased our generation from two percent to almost ten percent this year. And we are committed that by the end of this decade, renewable energy will be providing over a third of Israel’s electricity.
“The challenge we still face is solar-energy storage. My government is working to overcome this challenge and make Israel a global leader in energy storage. This will enable us to revolutionize our use of renewable energy. Hundreds of Israeli start-ups are working on this project and on related issues. These companies have already received billions of dollars; they'll receive more. Because I am convinced that Israeli science and Israeli ingenuity will enable us to play our part in the global transition to a net zero carbon economy.
“In water too Israel is making a big difference. We have shown the world how to use water more efficiently in agriculture through pioneering developments in drip irrigation, hydroponic agriculture and the use of artificial intelligence. Israel is a world leader in water purification and recycling, as well as in desalination. About 93 percent of Israel's wastewater is purified, and 86 percent is recycled for use in agriculture. These are very big numbers.
“And cooperation in the fields of water and renewable energy are also an integral part of our new cooperation with the UAE and Bahrain. So, not only are we working to end dependency on fossil fuels and finding solutions to the climate crisis, but we are helping to cement Arab-Israeli peace. And that bodes well for the entire region, for the entire world."