Israel is India’s Partner in Quest for Low Carbon Future: PM Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is India’s partner in its quest for a future with low carbon and pollution levels

Prime Minister Netanyahu: “We want a future with less carbon and less pollution, a future based on green energy and that’s why I welcome this vital initiative by Prime Minister Modi and I want to assure you that Israel is your partner in this quest.

— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 26, 2020

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which addressing a digital conference of the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) has said that Israel is India’s partner in its quest for a future with low carbon and pollution levels and exuded confidence that solar energy would constitute over 25 percent of his country’s energy supply by 2030.

He further went on to say that obstacles to conserving solar energy would have to be overcome to ensure supply on days when there is no sun.

“We want a future with less carbon and less pollution, a future based on green energy and that’s why I welcome this vital initiative by Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and I want to assure you that Israel is your partner in this quest,” a government release quoted Netanyahu. “I believe that the most important renewable energy is ingenuity and innovation. And all the countries represented here, beginning with India and Israel, and all of you, are committed to seizing innovation in order to seize the future. And on that, I think we can all be very, very hopeful.”

Netanyahu attended the digital conference on the personal invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The ISA, which seeks to harness the power of the sun to reduce pollution and carbon footprint, is an initiative of Modi. Over 80 countries are members of the alliance.

India was re-elected as president of the ISA for a term of two years at its third assembly in October.

Netanyahu noted that the sun is almost the exclusive source of renewable energy in his country. Approximately 10 percent of Israel’s energy consumption originates in solar energy. Solar energy would constitute over 25 percent of Israel’s energy supply by 2030, he said.

The Israeli prime minister said the obstacles to conserving solar energy would have to be overcome in order to provide it when there is no sun, he said. Netanyahu pointed out that hundreds of Israeli start-ups are active in the solar sector today following an investment of billions of dollars.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and ministers from India, Denmark, and Britain also attended the digital conference. 

The ISA was jointly launched by Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.