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On June 9, 2009, the Ministerial Committee on Environmental Protection and Climate Change approved the proposal of Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan to establish a directors-general team to formulate a national climate change plan for Israel. The plan will relate to Israel's preparedness and adaptation to climate change and to measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Minister Erdan emphasized that preparation of a greenhouse gas reduction plan is both an international necessity and a national requirement, which will, first and foremost, save thousands of lives and reduce disease associated with air pollution. In addition, the plan will serve as a driving force for economic growth which will generate workplaces and accelerate the development of Israel's cleantech industry. The directors-general team will be headed by the Director General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Dr. Yossi Inbar, and the proposed plan will be transferred to the Ministerial Committee on Environmental Protection and Climate Change for approval prior to the UN Climate Convention in Copenhagen at the end of this year. In order to prepare the national plan, the directors-general committee will appoint work teams on policy in specific fields which are relevant to the Israeli economy, including: - Preparedness and adaptation (e.g., reference to changes in energy demand for cooling and heating, water resources, agriculture, building, public health, biodiversity and natural habitats and tourism).
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., reference to energy conservation and efficiency, climate-conscious building design, greater efficiency in electricity production processes, transportation, renewable energy, water).
The proposed plan for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions until 2025 will be submitted to the Israel government. More on Climate Change in Israel Global warming and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions call for joint action by countries worldwide. In the Mediterranean Sea basin, even more than in other parts of the world, the impacts of climate change are expressed in warming and drying trends, on the one hand, and in an increase in extreme weather events (floods and heat waves), on the other hand. Since these trends are associated with adverse impacts on the water sector, agricultural production, drainage systems, the energy sector, the coastal environment and more, adaptation and preparedness are prerequisites. In order to quantify Israel's mitigation potential, the Ministry of Environmental Protection commissioned a study (prepared by Heifetz A. & Co. Economic Consultants), on options for greenhouse gas emissions reductions in Israel. The study anticipates a sharp rise in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with the forecast pointing to a 63% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2025, under a business-as-usual scenario, in relation to 2000. Greenhouse gas emissions are largely attributed to fossil fuel combustion in the electricity and transport sectors. In order to change this worrying trend, Israel must reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all relevant sectors. The preparation of a national action plan for climate change will advance, inter alia, the implementation of greenhouse gas reduction measures which will benefit the Israeli economy and increase the number of people employed in the fields of energy conservation and clean energy production.
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