5 Where is Israel in the global fight against climate change and what can it offer? Taking climate change more seriously: Middle East is a climate hotspot Israel has much do, and even more to gain Last November, the COP26 Climate Conference in Scotland saw world leaders make some bold commitments to address the ongoing threat of climate change. These commitments included phasing out coal by 2050, reversing deforestation by 2030, cutting methane emissions and much more. In spite of the multiple challenges, there were some encouraging moves. Dr. Tzipi Iser Itsiq, partner and director of the Environmental Protection, Cleantech and Clean Energy Department at Lipa Meir & Co, said: “The US-led methane reduction initiative has received international backing, as has the consent of 100 countries to act to protect rainforests. The most interesting move is the announcement by the US and China of cooperation in adapting to the climate crisis.” While Israel has typically lagged behind some other countries in prioritizing or addressing climate change, there has been a slow but noticeable shift in recent years. Whether it is to reduce emissions, alleviate the impact on public health, improve air quality, or drive innovative new industries, notably climate-tech, Israel has much do, and even more to gain. Governments and companies are indeed taking climate change more seriously than they did a decade ago, with present dangers highlighted by wildfires in the U.S. and historic heatwaves in Europe, and Israel is no exception. The Middle East is also seen particularly as a climate hot spot: “It is warming up one-and-a-half times quicker than the world average,” said Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. “In the Gulf region, it’s already two degrees more than what it was before the Industrial Revolution. So, things are taking a turn toward the worst in the Middle East in terms of climate change,” he added.
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