6 “According to climate scientists Israel will suffer from climate change in severe ways due to its geographic location. Droughts, water shortages, and desertification are predicted to be main issues which will affect life in Israel,” added Eyal Ofer, partner and head of Environmental Law and Sustainability at Tadmor Levy & Co. Galit Ofer, partner and Head of Environmental Law at Shibolet, says: “There is hope that following Bennett's commitment to net-zero by 2050, a commitment he had made during COP26, the new government shall be more determined than previous ones. Israel should undertake short-term targets and not just the long-term goal. It should take stronger measures in reducing carbon, transportation, waste treatment, and transitioning into alternative energy sources.” “Israel's target for 2030 is a 27% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions, and is considered low on a global scale. In light of this, action should be taken in order to update the climate targets for 2030,” added Dr. Tzipi Iser Itsiq. “I think that climate change is and should be the cornerstone of regional cooperation in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean,” Prime Minister Bennett stated. In December, Israel and Jordan joined together in a water-for-energy project, which would see Jordan build 600 MW of solar generating capacity in exchange for 200 million cubic meters of desalinated water provided by Israel. After a landmark visit to the UAE by Bennett, Israel and the UAE unveiled plans to set up a joint R&D fund to help combat climate change and promote clean energy, with both nations emphasizing agriculture and desertification. In November, Israel’s University of Haifa signed an academic cooperation agreement with the UAE’s Zayed University,focusingonenvironmental issuesandspearheading joint research between faculty and students. Furthermore, the UN, in fact, announced the launch of the first-ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, which will take place from February 28 to March 3, 2022, in the UAE. Paving the way for regional cooperation in the Middle East
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