BREAKING NEWS

Government to slash targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Despite original Environmental Protection Ministry recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, the government is slated to vote Sunday on a slimmed-down target of only 25%.
With the agreement of the National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Ministry, as well as the Finance Ministry, the Environment Ministry is submitting the revised recommendations for cabinet approval on Sunday – part of a larger program that the ministry says could save the Israeli economy more than $100 billion cumulatively. Nonetheless, the newly agreed upon reduction target would mean 5% more greenhouse gas emissions than the Environment Ministry had initially recommended in its 30% goal this July.
Cabinet authorization of a greenhouse gas emissions target is a precursor toward finalizing Israel’s intended national determined contribution (INDC) plan for December’s Conference of Parties (COP- 21) in Paris.
Participant nations in COP- 21 are aiming to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement to ensure that global warming does not surpass 2°. The summit will be the 21st such annual conference to occur as a result of the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, during which countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Prior to COP-21, all participant nations are expected to submit their INDC plans, the terms of which can vary according to their individual national conditions.