(Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection)

The January 2016 issue of the Israel Environment Bulletin (Vol. 42) opens with interviews with Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabbay and Director General Yisrael Dancziger.

It then addresses the subject of climate change - a topic that was at the top of the international environmental agenda in 2015.

The Paris Climate Conference was one of the most important climate conferences ever to take place. The 21st Conference of the Parties, or COP 21, of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was held from November 30 - December 12, 2015. ​A new, binding agreement on greenhouse gas emissions was adopted there.

The issue surveys Israel's preparations for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, based on energy efficiency, renewable energy and reduction in private car use. Senior officials in the ministry present their insights on the Paris Agreement, the opportunities opened up by climate change and Israel's proposed strategy on climate change adaptation.

Major attention is then given to air pollution abatement in Haifa Bay, a subject at the top of the ministry's agenda. The ambitious program, already in implementation, promises to dramatically improve the lives of more than half a million residents by reducing industrial and transport emissions while upgrading monitoring and expanding environmental surveys and research.

Additional articles also touch on energy efficiency and emissions reductions. The article on green building focuses on new initiatives to promote green building and integrate energy-efficient sustainable buildings in housing projects in Israel. The article on the results of Israel's PRTR and environmental impact index demonstrates reductions in pollutant emissions while highlighting areas in which improvements are necessary.

Finally the Bulletin looks at Israel's participation in meetings and conferences at a regional and global level, with special concentration on preparations for the Paris Climate Change Conference.