Key Points
- Anthony Albanese met with business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates on Saturday.
- They discussed climate change, energy and global health issues.
- Mr Gates said "preparedness for the next pandemic" has not yet been figured out.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Microsoft mogul Bill Gates at Kirribilli House on Saturday to discuss climate change, energy and global health issues.
Mr Albanese said he had long been an admirer of the billionaire's philanthropy and advocacy.
"We haven't met before but I've admired your work and your contribution not just financially but in raising debates including the need to deal with health issues," the PM said.
"We have just been through the pandemic but we need to prepare for future health challenges and the work that's been done on eradicating malaria and other diseases in our region is very important."
Mr Gates is visiting Australia with the Gates Foundation with representatives from his Breakthrough Energy company, which drives innovation in sustainable energy and in technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"My government was elected on a platform of taking climate change seriously - we introduced the very first legislative caps of 43 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050, we are engaged in setting a whole range of mechanisms that will drive private sector investment through," Mr Albanese said.
"Here in Australia the business community was well ahead of the government in action and now we are working with all the state and territory governments as well as the private sector in driving that change through."
Mr Gates praised the prime minister for his "great partnership" on international health issues including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
"As you say, the preparedness for the next pandemic is still a discussion that hasn't been figured out," he said.
"Malaria in the long run, we want to do the same thing we're doing with polio, which is eradicated regionally, and then eradicated all over the world."
Who is Bill Gates?
Mr Gates is an American business leader and philanthropist, who co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen in 1975.
He has invested in dozens of companies, and in 2000 he and his former wife established the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation was established in 2000 to fight poverty and disease around the world. Source: Getty
He has advocated for climate action and called for the development of cleaner, cheaper energy.
