This
year, 2022, is the year when it became clear to us all that we are in the midst
of a powerful climate crisis that is only getting worse. Widespread floods in
Pakistan displaced tens of millions from their homes and flooded about a third
of the country. Devastating hurricanes hit the East Coast of the US and the
Caribbean, wreaking havoc on a massive scale. Severe droughts dried up great
rivers in Europe and China. This is only a partial list of the major disasters
which UN experts have told us time and time again, are only likely to increase
as we continue to emit greenhouse gases.
World
leaders, government representatives, experts, representatives of the private
sector and civil society, academics, opinion shapers, and policy formulators
will meet for the COP 27 annual climate conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
during the month of November to discuss ways to prevent the climate crisis.
Success of the conference is of the utmost importance. So too is the
advancement of all the issues it will focus on, such as the continuation of
global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adoption of a global goal
for adaptation and adjustment to the climate crisis, increasing climate
financing and progress on the topic of “loss and damage” as well as advancing
cooperation in the exchange of knowledge and experience.
Israel,
located in an arid region and facing chronic water shortages, high
temperatures, and a difficult environment for agricultural development, has had
to invent creative solutions. Through decades of knowledge and experience, it
has found practical solutions to climate challenges, which Israel wishes to
share and collaborate on in order to bring about their implementation. These
solutions involve areas that are essential to handling the climate crisis, such
as efficiency of water resources and creation of new water sources,
drought-resistant agriculture and precision agriculture, invention of animal
protein substitutes and sustainable crops, energy efficiency and energy
storage, restoration and preservation of forests in arid areas, circular
economy, and the production of new materials that are climate and
environment-friendly. Many ideas also come from an active and aware civil
society, which contributes to the climate-environmental discourse and
activities, ideas that often are then integrated into government action.
Evidence of Israel’s desire to
share information is the establishment, for the first time, of an Israeli
pavilion at a COP conference. The pavilion will focus on climate innovation and
solutions, and dozens of events aimed at creating international and regional
cooperation in the Middle East will be held. We understand that regional and
international cooperation is critical to dealing with the climate crisis;
therefore, our goal is that every event at the Israeli pavilion will create a
long-term partnership and process. The participation of an especially large and
high-ranking Israeli delegation is also expected. The delegation will include
representatives from all the sectors that must be harnessed in order to deal
with the climate crisis: government, civil society, the private sector, local
government, academia, and more.
Collaborations
between the Israel pavilion and the Pacific pavilion, in which New Zealand and
the Pacific Nations also takes part, are already being set.
Government-to-government and business-to-business meetings, discussion panels
and mutual learning and consultation opportunities with an emphasis on the
Pacific and Middle East regions are all important steps forward in the global
effort of like-minded people and governments joining together, complementing
each other in the joint mission to better our world.
In order to overcome the
climate crisis, humanity needs practical, applicable solutions to build climate
resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that can be implemented on a
local as well as a global scale. These solutions should help meet global
mitigation goals and reinforce resilience among countries and communities that
are already affected, as well as assist in the implementation of the UN's
sustainable development goals – the SDGS.
International cooperation in
the field of climate innovation also provides an excellent opportunity to
strengthen the economy for the benefit of all, create new jobs, and advance
human prosperity, while preserving nature, the climate and ecological
diversity.
We all have an important part
to play in preventing the climate crisis. Israel hopes that the Sharm el-Sheikh
conference will be a great success and mark a positive turning point in the
future of humanity. You are invited to come and see us at the Israeli pavilion
at COP 27, (6 Nov - 18 Nov 2022).
By His Excellency Ran Yaakoby, Resident Ambassador of Israel to New Zealand and
Non-Resident Ambassador to Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands