The Paris – Tel Aviv – Marrakech Connection

 

The Paris Climate Conference (COP21), held in late 2015 marked a significant step toward halting global warming. The nations of the world united in signing accords to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, beginning a gradual, three-decade transition from today’s inefficient, polluting economy to a more efficient model with reduced dependence on carbon and the increased use of renewable energy.

 

A year later, the climate conference held in Marrakech, Morocco (COP22) explored the concrete steps required to implement the Paris accords – already ratified by 90 nations that account for some 60% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. In order to ensure implementation, each nation committed itself to a clear set of steps and objectives. Israel, which also ratified the Paris agreement, decided on a national plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mandating significant steps and budgets to encourage the improvement of economic efficiency, promoting renewable energy and the reduction of pollution caused by transportation.

 

Joining together with other environmental organizations and activists, the Council for a Beautiful Israel took up the challenge, holding the “Israel Climate Convention” in Tel Aviv — an open public discussion on how Israel has chosen to deal with climate change among civic organizations, the business sector and decision makers.  Amongst many distinguished speakers were Israel's Minister of Environmental Protection Ze'ev Elkin and Lars Faaborg-Andersen Head of the EU delegation to Israel to name just a few.

 

CBI’s Head of Sustainability & Publicity Department, Merav Nir, moderated the panel on technological innovation. From among dozens ofcandidates, seven promising Israeli start-ups were chosen to present their initiatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Among the innovations presented were those of: HomeBiogas, which showed how to turn food waste into clean energy source by using an easy to install and operate home device; TigiSolar, which developed solar collection panels with transparent insulation to increase the exploitation of the sun’s energy to heat water for industrial processes; Cactus Home, an initiative to build pleasant, thrifty, environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient homes, powered by solar energy (and which will represent Israel at the 2017 Solar Decathalon in China) and an initiative to produce biogas from seaweed that can provide for all global consumption of major industrial chemicals.

 

This small sample shows how environmental challenges open windows of opportunity to leverage Israel's developmental capabilities and inventiveness, leading to further economic development and employment opportunities. Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection estimates that meeting national objectives for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will yield a value of some 100 billion Shekels for Israel's economy over the next 15 years. Such developments also increase our understanding that there is no need for a carbon-based economy and show that all the energy we need can be produced from renewable sources, leading to genuine energy independence.