Israel's delegation to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference included representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Infrastructures, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel Electric Corporation, Israel Knesset (parliament), and local government, as well as representatives of the business sector, environmental non-government organizations and academia. Their participation was deemed especially important in order to prepare a national climate change plan, based on mitigation and adaptation measures and a timetable for implementation.

In preparation for the meeting, the Ministry of Environmental Protection published a special report, entitled "Coping with Climate Change in Israel" as well as an information sheet entitled "A Carbon Cost Curve for Israel." Both were made available to participants of the Copenhagen Climate Summit.

On the fourth day of the conference, the Israeli delegation to the conference, participated in a side event entitled  "Adapting to Arid Climate Conditions - Updated Research and Development Practices from Israel". Dr. Yishayahu Bar-Or, Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, who facilitated the event, noted Israel's achievements in the fields of agriculture, afforestation and re-use of wastewater in arid and semi-arid regions. Presentations were given on the following topics: sequestration of CO₂ by forests in arid lands; afforestation practices under arid conditions; and technologies for efficient reuse of effluents where water is in short supply.

Statement by Israel President Shimon Peres

Israel President Shimon Peres, who arrived at Copenhagen on December 16, 2009 and headed the Israeli delegation, stated to Minister Erdan, just prior to their departure for the Climate Summit, that: "Israel is ready and able to serve as an international laboratory on renewable energy and that this is the important message that the Israeli delegation brings to Copenhagen."

In his speech to the Conference on December 17, 2009, President Shimon Peres stated: "Copenhagen is a hope. It has to be realized...By 2020, the government of Israel intends to make best efforts to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 20% compared to a business as usual scenario."  President Peres went on to say: "Israel outstretches her hand to her neighbors, to nations inside and outside the Mediterranean, to partake in our global laboratories and employ Israel as a pilot plant of environmental trials."

Responding to the President's statement Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan noted that the declaration constitutes a significant step in Israel's commitment to the struggle against climate change, and positions Israel at the start of a new era. He went on to say: "To date, the mitigation effort was solely in the hands of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Today, in light of the commitment made by the President of Israel, the struggle has been transformed into a national mission which will require the investment of major resources, in a switch to renewable energy, public transortation, waste treatment and a long line of additional steps." Such steps will include:

• Wide use of renewable energy, especially solar and wind energy.
• Reexamination of the decision to establish a coal-fired power plant in Ashkelon.
• Increased electricity savings and efficiency including energy efficiency in new and existing buildings, use of energy-efficient lighting, promotion of energy efficient electrical appliances and improvements in air conditioning systems.
• Promotion of efficient and clean transport, such as hybrid and electric cars, and encouragement of the public to change behavioral patterns by preferring public transport and cycling rather than private cars.
• Greater industrial efficiency including improved production and control processes, cogeneration and switch to cleaner fuel (oil to gas).
• Revolution in waste treatment.

Israel's Preparations for the Copenhagen Climate Summit

Preparations for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference were at a peak in Israel in recent months. With the results of the McKinsey report on Israel's carbon abatement cost curve in hand, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan took several steps to accelerate Israel's progress on the road to climate change mitigation..

In a meeting of representatives of the Israeli delegation to the Copenhagen Conference, Minister Gilad Erdan stated: "The position of the ministry, which is based on the findings of the McKinsey report, combined with an additional abatement target based on behavioral changes, will be presented to the government for decision. I will recommend that in order to lead Israel forwards, the government adopt ambitious reduction targets. For this reason, I turned to the Prime Minister with a request to establish a ministerial subcommittee on transfer to renewable energies, which I expect will lead to a change in Israel's energy mix and a switch to 25% renewable energies without the construction of additional coal-fired power plants. I believe that by adding important changes in our lifestyle and by utilizing Israel's big advantage in the development of green technologies, we can bring new tidings to the world."

Recently, the Prime Minister of Israel appointed his director general, the director general of the Ministry of Finance and the head of the Economic and Social Council to spearhead the necessary processes. Israel is intent on using the climate crisis and the consequent economic opportunities to become an information center for climate change adaptation (in such areas as desertification, agriculture, water technologies and more) and development of innovative technologies in the area of alternatives to fossil fuel and renewable energy.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is currently examining the Copenhagen Accord and is preparing for its implementation by means of a national plan for emissions reductions, in coordination with relevant government ministries.

Adding Renewable Energy to Israel's Energy Mix

According to the McKinsey report, renewable energy in Israel must reach 25% of the country's total power generation capacity in order to allow Israel to reduce 66% of the anticipated increase in greenhouse gas emissions until that year. In order to assure compliance with the goals while significantly increasing renewable energy use, Environmental Protection Minister Erdan wrote to Prime Minister Netanyahu with a request to set up a ministerial committee on renewable energies. The Prime Minister, in turn, concurred with Minister Erdan's request in mid-December 2009 and called on the Government Secretary to establish a ministerial committee on renewable energies and reduced dependence on oil, which will be made up of representatives of the Ministries of Environmental Protection, Infrastructure, Interior, Defense, Agriculture, Industry and Labor and Finance.

According to Minister Erdan, compliance with greenhouse gas abatement goals requires Israel to launch a revolution on renewable energy in order to advance research, development and implementation in this field, Minister Erdan further noted that a significant increase in the scope of renewable energy use will respond to Israel's strategic interests in reducing dependence on fuel import and will reduce air pollution.

Environmental Protection Minister Erdan continued: "Israel like other Western countries, must stop its massive dependence on polluting energies and must bring about a significant increase the scope of renewable and clean energies. If we do not release ourselves from yesterday's methods of producing polluting energy and encourage a shift to clean energy generation in the future, we will not be able to take our part in confronting the climate crisis and will not be able to comply with greenhouse gas reduction targets for Israel."

Green growth is high on the international agenda today. In order to confront the impending climate crisis, government agencies and the public must work together in order to lower Israel's carbon footprint. Implementation of this goal must be expressed in numerous fields: in the development processes of the electricity and transport sectors in Israel, in the consumption and behavioral patterns of the public and in the accelerated development of cleantech in Israel.

More Links:

	Climate Change
	Preparations for Climate Change
	UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Website - Copenhagen Conference