Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was seen meeting with world leaders at Cop26 today. This just days after he celebrated his 66th birthday with Jeff Bezos, an Amazon billionaire.
The US businessman-turned-philanthropist met with Narendra Modi, Israeli premier Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today and yesterday, during the UN-run summit in Glasgow.
He could even be seen grinning as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that the pair had agreed to spend £400million in a bid to solve the ‘problems of low-carbon aviation’ during a speech at the Accelerating Clean Energy Innovation and Deployment event this afternoon.
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and Mr Gates have been branded ecohypocrites. They both lecture the world about climate change by reducing carbon emissions, while reportedly holidaying together on Mr Gates’s rental superyacht “Lana”. Superyachts produce 7,020 tons of carbon dioxide annually, or 19 tons each day.
Mr Bezos, now the richest man on the planet, flew into Glasgow on his $65million Gulf Stream private jet on Monday. According to reports, the Amazon boss, who lectures the world about climate change regularly, reached Mr Gates’s boat via helicopter.
It is not known when Mr Gates arrived at Cop26 and what his means of transport were. However, his superyacht was seen on Tuesday anchored off the coast of Mugla, a province in southwestern Turkey. MailOnline reached out for comment to Mr Gates’s representatives.
Mr. Gates was once the richest man on Earth, but he has fallen to fourth on Forbes Rich List ranking with $124billion. He flew his guests to their birthdays by helicopter from his yacht in Fethiye to the Sea Me Beach Club in Fethiye. The jet fuel that powers helicopters emits 21.095 lbs of carbon dioxide per gallon. Helicopters travel approximately 10.75 mph.
The full details of Mr Gates’s meetings are not yet available. The Times of Israel reported that Mr Bennett and the Microsoft founder agreed to create a working group between Israel and Gates Foundation in the field of climate change innovation.
‘Israel has been called the startup nation. And I think it’s time that we pivot and channel national energy – which is the energy and brainpower of the people – to fighting climate changes,’ Mr Bennett told Mr Gates during their meeting. “We will make this a national mission.
Bill Gates arrives at Cop26 to attend the ‘Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment’ conference in Glasgow
Mr. Gates shakes hands with Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister, of Israel, at Cop26 Tuesday
Meeting with Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, by Mr Gates at Cop26 on Tuesday
Mr Gates meeting with Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, at Cop26 on Monday
Mr Gates could even be seen grinning as Boris Johnson revealed that he brokered a £400million deal with the UK Prime Minister in a bid to solve the ‘problems of low-carbon aviation’ at the Accelerating Clean Energy Innovation and Deployment event on Tuesday afternoon
Mr Gates arriving for the ‘Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment’ event
It is not clear when Mr Gates arrived at Cop26 and what his means of transport were. However, the $2million-aweek rental yacht ‘Lana” was seen anchored just off Mugla in southwestern Turkey’s Aegean Sea.
According to reports, Gates stated that he believed that the Israeli premier could solve climate change if he increased innovation. He spoke about innovation and said: “That’s really Israel’s reputation for, but not in the climate space.”
“We were thinking: How can we connect and find more people who do mitigation type innovation, more people who do adaptation? Based on the talent you have and the trends we’ve seen in digital space, how can we unleash more of this? So I’d love to take that R&D innovation push and figure out where Israel can partner with us.’
Last seen in the UK, Mr Gates met the Queen at a reception at Windsor Castle for international business and investment leaders to mark the Global Investment Summit. Earlier that day, he spoke to the Prime Minister at the Science Museum, where the UK leader vowed to make Britain the ‘Qatar of hydrogen’ and asked industry leaders to commit funding to decarbonising the world economy – insisting ‘green is good, green is right’.
Mr Johnson and Mr Gates announced that the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst will match that £200million funding over 10 years to help develop the cutting-edge technologies.
Prime Minister: “It will help bring innovative technologies onto the market globally, while building new skill sets and creating high-quality job opportunities across the UK.”
Mr Gates stated that the partnership would “accelerate deployment of these critical climate solution, helping to make them more accessible and affordable”.
It comes after Leonardo DiCaprio was revealed as the latest American A-lister and eco-activist to arrive in Scotland for Cop26 today, but appeared to have shunned a private jet to get there after previous criticism about his heavy carbon footprint.
The 46-year old megastar, now referred to on social media as an “actor and environmentalist”, was mobbed upon his arrival at the Glasgow SEC Centre at Midday.
He was followed into the building by bodyguards and police, just as President Biden and Mr Johnson met at an event to share their vision of a ‘Build back Better World’ and the need for trillions of dollars in climate change mitigation and creating millions green jobs.
Leo, Greta Thunberg’s friend, was wearing sunglasses, a smart suit and matching mask as he entered Greta Thunberg’s conference centre. He had reportedly flown via London to get to Edinburgh on commercial planes.
He headed to the UN climate change conference’s Kew Carbon Garden to support The Royal Botanic Gardens’ campaign for protection of the Ebo Forest in Cameroon, which is threatening endangered species such as rare chimpanzees, from logging.
Mr. DiCaprio is expected to speak at several fringe events at this conference. This was after he was spotted in LA celebrating Halloween and then on holiday in Hawaii the week prior.
After being called an eco-hypocrite for his past use of VIP planes, he decided to avoid a private jet. It was revealed in 2016 that the Oscar-winner flew over 8,000 miles from France and New York to accept a climate change award.
The Wolf of Wall Street actor first appeared at a fringe event hosted last night by environmentalists at The Engine Works venue, in Glasgow’s Maryhill area, in the north of Glasgow.
Mr Gates listening during the ‘Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment’ event at the Cop26
Mr Gates attending day three of Cop26 in Glasgow. 2021 will see the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference
After flying in a private jet to Glasgow to give a speech on climate change, Jeff Bezos caused a backlash online
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen in conversation with Bill Gates at the Global Investment Summit held at the Science Museum in London, October 19, 2021.
Mr Gates meeting the Queen during a reception for international business and investment leaders at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit on October 19, 2021
Pictured: A map showing Mr. Bezos’ journeys from Turkey on Friday (bottom-left), and from Turkey on Sunday (main). Blue Origin founder Blue Origin founder Blue Origin said to have traveled the 120-mile round trip via chopper from Gokova, Turkey to Fethiye, Turkey on Friday. The jet fuel used for powering helicopters emits 21.095 lbs of carbon dioxide per gallon. The helicopter that Bezos used to propel it emitted 21.5 pounds of carbon dioxide into atmosphere. Helicopters travel approximately 10.75 miles each gallon. On Sunday, he flew the approximately 2,000-miles from Gokova.
Leo posed with Emmy-nominated writer and producer Paul Goodenough. He also held a copy his new climate book, ‘The Most Important Comic Book on Earth: Story to Save the World’. He shared a photo of them together with the caption, ‘What a Hero’. He also told his Instagram followers that he thought Leo was amazing and they chatted for hours despite everyone wanting a piece.
Yesterday, dozens upon dozens of world leaders and business chiefs were accused of hypocrisy after taking private jets or domestic flights from Glasgow to tell the rest the world how to reduce their carbon footprint. The billionaire Mr Bezos and Mr Biden were among those responsible.
After telling Cop26 delegates that the conference ‘can’t and must mark the beginning’ of the climate catastrophe, Johnson said that he would rather fly home from Glasgow than travel by train.
Prince Charles was one of those who flew non-commercially after attending the G20 summit at Rome. Clarence House spokesmen said that the flight used’sustainable aviationfuel’.
VIPs will not only be taking hundreds of carbon-polluting flights since Sunday but also electric vehicles. Many of these vehicles will be charged using large generators, which emit nitrogen oxides as a result of a lack in charging provisions.
Critics said that the move demonstrated a ‘completely lack of preparedness for a wholesale switch away fossil fuel cars that are required’.
After driving 20 cars from Edinburgh to Glasgow in a motorcade of 20 cars, President Biden addressed this summit, claiming that the US would ‘lead by the power and example’ in fighting climate change.
Yesterday, Mr Biden arrived in Edinburgh on Air Force One and was accompanied by three other aircraft and the Marine One helicopter.
An enormous motorcade, including “the Beast”, the presidential vehicle, was on the ground. A number of Range Rovers, Chevrolet SUVs, and a few Range Rovers transported the presidential party to Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus.
If all of the vehicles are petrol-powered then estimates suggest they will have emitted 360kg of carbon in the 40-mile journey. The President could produce as much as 2.2 million pounds of carbon on his entire trip.
Prince Albert of Monaco and representatives of the Bank of America flew to the conference on private jets, while Angela Merkel, the German chancellor and Emmanuel Macron used official government aircraft.
As many as 400 private jets were expected to arrive for the conference. Conservative predictions suggest the fleet would emit 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in total – equivalent to the amount emitted by more than 1,600 Britons in a year. Many of the passengers arrived from major cities like London, Stockholm and Rome, which are all served by commercial routes.
Luke Pollard, Labour’s spokesperson on the environment, stated that world leaders should be leading by example.
He said that while people have sympathy for world leaders who fly in from the other end of the globe, those who are coming home should travel by train. The idea that the Prime Minister will fly home to Cop26 from London after flying from London and Cornwall for the G7 is out of touch.
Today’s speaker was billionaire Bezos. He made the short journey to space in the crewed first flight of his rocket ship New Shepard earlier this year. He said that he had gained a new perspective
Mr. Bezos’ Gulf Stream accompanied a 400-strong parade, including scores and dozens ‘green’ CEOs, into COP26. This was amid an extraordinary traffic jam that saw empty planes fly 30 miles to find parking spaces.
As he arrived at the two-week conference, Mr DiCaprio looked smart in sunglasses, a blue mask and a matching suit. He is not expected to speak publicly in Scotland yet, but he is expected to make a speech.
The actor, who describes himself as an environmentalist and also removed his sunglasses while surrounded by security.
In a series of tweets over the weekend, Mr DiCaprio indicated that he was planning to attend, but it was not clear when he would show.
“In terms of Mr Bezos: If you want to be credible in the debate, not only must you be decarbonising the company, but you must also demonstrate your commitment with your actions, especially if you are one the wealthiest people on the planet.
Greg Archer (UK director of the Transport and Environment Campaign Group) stated: “Business leaders and heads state flying into the climate negotiations on private jets illustrates just how out of touch these people are with the public’s need to urgently address the climate crisis.
“These jets can cause as much warming of the planet during three-hour return flights than the average Brit does in one year.”
When asked why Johnson didn’t take the train, the Official Spokesman for the Prime Minister stated that he was faced with’significant time constraints’.
A spokesperson said that the PM’s jet this week emits half the amount of carbon dioxide as his regular official plane. This is partly due to the use of’sustainable jet fuel. Tree planting and other schemes will help offset carbon emissions related to the flight.
The spokesperson said that the hundreds of private aircraft flying in was not a problem and that leaders should meet face to face to discuss important issues.