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Greta and David: climate changers across generations

In a way they could not be more different – certainly in terms of age. One of them is 95 years old, born in 1926. The other is just 18 and was born in 2003 – 77 years later. The older one is David Attenborough, the veteran British broadcaster and naturalist. The younger one is Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist. Together they are two of the best known environmental campaigners on the planet.
It was Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, who kicked off the COP26 climate summit, but he invoked the amazingly confident Thunberg with a warning that the world cannot continue to talk tough while doing nothing. “Blah blah blah,” Johnson quoted her as saying, adding: “It’s one minute to midnight on that Doomsday clock and we need to act now.”
Arguably, Thunberg may be more influential as she represents a generation (Z) which has become rapidly more aware of climate change and the danger of global warming. But Attenborough symbolizes the fact that older people have become increasingly conscious of the risks and has contributed significantly to that new understanding. He was described as having “stolen the show” as the summit got under way.
Thunberg, who began her stellar career outside the parliament in Stockholm in 2018 aged 15 in response to the hottest summer since records began, said her own movement "would never have become so big if there wasn't friction". She said it was "possible in theory" to reach an agreement in Glasgow to keep global warming below 1.5C, which scientists predict will avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Attenborough and Thunberg already know each other. The broadcaster produced a three-part BBC series in which he followed her around the world for a year. Viewers saw trips to glaciers melting faster than feared, investigations of pilot carbon capture projects and attempts to engage with Polish miners who see environmentalism as a threat to their livelihoods. It is packed with inspirational speeches and appeals to take action.
But the filmmaker has the perspective – and sense of proportion – that Thunberg lacks. Attenborough’s compelling documentary A Life on Our Planet (available on Netflix), shows how the world has changed in his lengthy lifetime. He has previously addressed the G7 summit and the UN Security Council.
In Glasgow, Attenborough made a moving speech: “Everything we’ve achieved in the last 10,000 years was enabled by the stability during this time,” he said. “The global temperature has not wavered over this period by more than plus or minus one degree Celsius, until now. Our burning of fossil fuels, our destruction of nature, our approach to industry, construction and learning, are releasing carbon into the atmosphere at an unprecedented pace and scale.”
Commentators praised him to the skies: “Attenborough laid his heart on the line. When he says the world is in a doomsday scenario, then you believe him,” wrote John Crace in the Guardian. “He is a man who has devoted his life to saving the natural world. Not an apparatchik who has been to countless previous climate change conferences where he has learned to hedge his bets and make the vaguest of promises he is fairly certain he has no chance of keeping.”
It is too early to judge the outcome of this landmark event. John Kerry, the US climate envoy under President Joe Biden, made clear he was feeling more hopeful in the wake of three agreements: to reduce methane gas emissions; to end deforestation by 2030 and reduce the use of coal in 40 countries, albeit with significant omissions.
Even if COP26 fails to reach agreements, Thunberg said early on: "There is not a point where everything is lost. We can always prevent things from getting worse. It's never too late to do as much as we can." But later she was more pessimistic, telling a cheering crowd that “blah blah blah wasn’t enough to save our planet.” Grunberg also accused COP26 attendees of “greenwashing.”
Attenborough said in a BBC interview shortly before COP26: "There are still people in North America, there are still people in Australia who say 'no, no, no, no, of course it's very unfortunate that there was that forest fire that absolutely demolished, incinerated that village, but it's a one-off'. Particularly if it's going to cost money in the short term, the temptation is to deny the problem and pretend it's not there. But every month that passes, it becomes more and more incontrovertible, the changes to the planet that we are responsible for that are having these devastating effects.”
The world is of course already experiencing the dangers of climate change. But if Greta lives to be as old as David, she will witness the effects of the decisions world leaders are about to make: a relatively stable climate or a full-blown global catastrophe.
by: IAN BLACK

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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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