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Edited by Avidan Waldman

Dear Friends,

I recently returned from the eventful United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Although it seems that the conference was an overall failure on the global level, the Israeli government has made some unprecedented strides. In fact, while actual targets were never declared up till now, President Shimon Peres declared to the world that Israel’s targets are to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020 compared to ‘business as usual’ levels. I have to admit that these promises are miniscule in relation to the required goal of 20% below 2000 levels, yet we take solace in the fact that this is an improvement relative to the government ignoring the issue of climate change until now.

Will Israel Stand Up to the Challenges Ahead?

By Avidan Waldman

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) has finally begun (December 7^th –18^th). Gil Ya’acov, Executive Director of Green Course, will be traveling to Copenhagen as part of the Israeli delegation. Gil is certainly going with high hopes and prepared to be an active participant. Gil represents Green Course’s goals of a solid treaty that will lower world green house gas emissions.

Green Course has constantly been working to grow Israel’s environmental awareness and plant the seeds of change. A recent survey of western countries had Israel placed as the #1 in investment in renewable energy technologies, but dead last in implementation of those technologies within Israel. One of the apparent reasons for this is that under the Kyoto protocol, Israel was considered a developing country despite its advanced position in most categories and its expected acceptance to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). On environmental issues, Israel behaves like a developing country.