Bill Gates tells leaders to use Cop28 for faster path to net zero

Microsoft co-founder shared his hoped outcome from the Cop28 summit in Dubai

Bill Gates, Co-Chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation leaves the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 16, 2018. Reuters

Cop28 will be a critical opportunity for the world’s leaders to come together and take real steps to accelerate the path to net-zero carbon emissions, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said on Wednesday.

#COP28 will be a critical opportunity for the world’s leaders to come together and take real steps to accelerate our path to net-zero carbon emissions. https://t.co/8EYri4XNbw

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) July 26, 2023

In a tweet, the Microsoft co-founder included a link to the key aims of the UN Climate Change conference, hoping to refocus on the issues that need to be addressed at the summit taking place in Dubai this year.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President-designate, has said the conference will be based around four pillars: fast-tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on people and making inclusivity a hallmark of the summit.

This month, at a 26-nation climate summit in Brussels, Dr Al Jaber set out what he called a "science-based, action-oriented" plan.

The summit begins on November 30, when the world will complete a first “global stocktake” of progress to limit climate change.

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Updated: July 27, 2023, 3:05 AM