After the UN released a report on climate change calling for Israel to act now, Environmental Minister Tamar Zandberg declared a climate emergency, choosing to take the “strategic threat” seriously.
In her statement, she said, “To this end, it is necessary to declare a climate emergency and define the climate crisis as a strategic threat and to deduce the preparatory actions needed…the main points of the report prove beyond any doubt that the intensity and urgency of the climate crisis can no longer be denied, and more importantly, the connection between human actions and climate change cannot be denied or questioned…this should constitute a wake-up call for the whole world.”
While the new government understands the need to take action, there is an urgency needed in order to create a shift to make a sustainable difference. Israel is expected to rise four degrees by 2050, and across the world, temperatures are increasing, wildfires are burning, sea levels are rising, extreme weather is worsening, and the trends will only continue.
Israel recently declared their aim to minimize greenhouse gases by 27% by 2030, and by 85% by 2050. The latest budget proposal is the first time a budget has been specified to battle climate change. If approved, NIS 625 million, or about $95 million, will fund a five-year plan to make progress in renewable energies, clean air directives, as well as investing in technologies and research to support environmental causes.
The Environmental Protection Ministry is on board, stating that “It’s time to act and fast — to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the one hand and to better prepare for the inevitable effects of climate change on the other.”
