‘Climate issue is an urgent problem’
ISRAEL will be represented at the United Nations COP26 Climate Talks in Glasgow, Scotland, by a delegation of 120 people drawn from the Knesset, government ministries, civil society, academia, the business sector, and local government. The summit runs from October 31 to November 12.
The delegation will be led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and will include the ministers of energy and environmental protection.
On Monday, the delegation was hosted by President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
The President delivered a strident speech, declaring, “Anyone who thought that the climate crisis is an issue that would only affect future generations, or that we have many years to start generating meaningful change, is making a grave mistake.
“Anyone who thinks that time is on our side is reading the situation incorrectly. The climate issue is an urgent problem, which requires immediate action,” said Herzog.
“We must create as broad a coalition as possible, incorporating all branches of industry, trade, academia and of course the public sector and local government, joining forces with a single goal: to urgently and immediately address the climate crisis. Not next year, not in two months’ time. Here and now.”
Last Wednesday, Herzog announced the establishment of the Israeli Climate Forum, which will operate under the auspices of the President’s Office and be headed by veteran environmental activist and former Hadash MK Dov Khenin, in cooperation with Haim v’Sviva (Life and Environment), the umbrella organisation of Israeli environmental groups.
At Monday’s event, Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg and Energy Minister Karine Elharrar presented a national implementation plan to deal with the climate crisis, put together by 14 ministries.
Zandberg vowed to make the passing of a climate law her first priority when she returns from Scotland. A climate law was drafted in April, but has been held up by Energy Ministry and Finance Ministry objections.
Ron Tomer, chairman of the Manufacturers’ Association, assured those present that the business community was in favour of a low-carbon economy, as well as a green economy, so long as it was also a fair one.
A carbon tax would eventually be introduced in Israel and large amounts of money would be spent to cut carbon emissions, he said, adding that he hoped the state and the government would be prepared to wean themselves off products supplied by countries such as Turkey and China, which are both big polluters.