“Who by water and who by fire?”
These are the words of a 13th-century prayer millions of Jews worldwide will read on the High Holy Days, which started Friday at sundown.
They do so at a time when rising flood waters and devastating fires have ravaged the world due to climate change, and the threat is only growing.
On Tuesday, it seemed as if the democratic fate of the nation hung on the results of a historic High Court of Justice hearing that tested the Knesset’s power to curtail the court’s purview to review its laws.
In contrast, the ministerial committee on legislation’s attempt to tackle climate change passed without a headline, even though the bill it approved and will send to the Knesset for Israel to achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050 could save lives.
Doctors assessed climate change as the most significant health threat of the 21st century, primarily due to its role in causing floods, droughts, and a surge in infectious diseases. Already, more than five million deaths a year can be attributed to abnormally hot and cold temperatures, according to an international study led by Monash University in Australia.
Israel is in a climate threat hot spot, but no laws have been pushed to reduce the danger
Israel, however, has not pushed fast enough to put in place legislation that would adequately reduce that threat, even though the country is specifically considered a “hot spot.”
This means that Israel is located in a geographically precarious region where the rate of temperature rise is twice the global average.
Consequently, the National Security Council has categorized the climate crisis as a critical reference scenario in parallel with the Iranian threat.
According to the Israeli Meteorological Service’s forecasts, there is a projected substantial increase in the number of days with temperatures exceeding 34 degrees Celsius as we approach mid-century. During this time frame, the intensification of heat waves would threaten Israel’s agriculture, economy, and public health, potentially resulting in severe illnesses and loss of life.
These heat waves are anticipated to be marked by prolonged durations, heightened intensity, and increased frequency – as many as six or seven such extreme heat events annually.
TWO YEARS ago, as part of the Israel Democracy Institute’s “Israel 2050” initiative, a survey found that most Israelis are concerned about the risks of global warming and believe that the government should act accordingly.
The survey showed that nearly three-quarters (72%) of Israelis believe that humanity is endangered by climate change and global warming.
A climate law, such as the one that passed the ministerial committee this week, is the first step in planning for a crisis everyone knows is coming.
Environmental activists have immediately attacked the bill as flawed for failing to properly ensure accountability for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making it too easy for the government to justify contrary actions.
Their concern is based on the country’s track record.
Israel committed to the United Nations to cut emissions by at least 27% by 2030. However, a report by the Environmental Protection Ministry showed that Israel is likely to reach only a 12% reduction in emissions.
Just this month, data from Israel’s 2022 Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) showed that Israel did not reduce greenhouse gas emissions last year. Instead, it recorded its highest greenhouse gas emissions levels since 2012, exceeding the baseline established by the Paris Agreement in 2015 for the first time.
The first Israeli climate bill was presented to the government by former environmental protection minister Gila Gamliel in 2021. Later, a team of professionals working under Gamliel’s successor, Tamar Zandberg, improved that bill. The bill called for a 27% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to emissions in 2015. It passed the ministerial committee and even a first reading in the Knesset only days before the parliament fell and elections were called.
The current Knesset could have picked up the bill where it left off and aimed to pass it in a second and third reading.
Instead, it returned the bill to the ministerial committee to set more ambitious targets. Regrettably, despite assurances to enact a climate law within the administration’s first six months, the bill’s vote had continuously faced delays due to internal disputes among the Finance, Energy, and Environmental Protection ministries.
The government pledged, in its coalition agreement, to pass a climate law that would commit it to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. While the bill’s current version drops that percentage to 30%, this is still more than the 27% Israeli commitment to the United Nations.
Moreover, the bill aims to have Israel be net zero by 2050.
More importantly, it incorporates the climate matter into the entire government’s work as a main topic that cannot be ignored or pushed aside anymore.
Israel will join most OECD countries with climate legislation if it passes a climate law.
ACCORDING TO the World Resources Institute, 196 countries ratified or joined the Paris Climate Agreement, representing more than 96% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Some 57 countries also developed long-term plans to decarbonize their economies.
Forty countries require mandatory greenhouse gas/carbon reporting, such as the United Kingdom, North America, Australia, and Japan.
A 2019 report by the London School of Economics and Political Science found that more than 170 countries have national policies on adaptation to manage the risks of climate change impacts, such as floods and droughts.
The climate law is also a necessary prerequisite for Israel to engage in international climate discussions, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows that Israel’s position will be compromised without enacting it.
For example, Israel plans to send a large delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, in Dubai at the end of November.
Last week, the Israel Innovation Authority unveiled the list of 30 companies selected to showcase their innovations within the official Israeli pavilion. Furthermore, over 100 additional companies are attending the event, seeking opportunities for business collaborations and potential partnerships.
Israel hopes to leverage its Start-Up Nation climate technology to position itself as a prominent global player in addressing this crucial matter. But the country, including its technology, could not be taken seriously if Israel itself is not moving toward sustainability.
It would be better, of course, if the legislation moves Israel toward reduced carbon emissions faster. But inaction would be even more dangerous, and the bill helps ensure that Israel keeps its eye on the more ambitious long-term goal.
The bill’s flaws shouldn’t detract from the overall importance of the legislation which, if approved by the Knesset, is an essential first step in reducing the threat of climate change.
It could likewise help ensure that the next generation of Israelis will be inscribed in the Book of Life rather than facing death by fire or water. ■
The writer is deputy CEO – strategy and innovation for The Jerusalem Post and a senior correspondent. She also co-hosts the Inside Israel Innovation podcast.