‘Israel not on track to reach climate targets’

Israel is not on track to reach its climate targets, said a report published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD. The report, presented at a joint event held by the Israeli Environmental Protection Ministry and the OECD in Jerusalem, reviewed the country’s environmental performance over the past decade, reports Xinhua news agency. The Israeli government has set an 85 per cent greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target for 2050, and sectoral targets for GHG emissions from electricity generation, solid waste, transport, and industry. It has also announced an overall aim of carbon neutrality by the same year. The report stated that, however, waste generation and landfilling continued to grow due to sustained economic and population growth, alongside the absence of robust waste management policies. In order to achieve the targets, Israel will need to introduce additional ones across all sectors, including those listed in a planned national climate law, said the report. It noted that Israel’s share of renewables in the energy mix is the second smallest in the OECD, requiring the promotion of solar power installations and the integration of more renewable resources into the electric grid. The authors added that the low-carbon transition requires the country to increase investments in renewable energy and clean transport. The report also recommended expanding biodiversity protection areas in Israel, reducing water pollution, and updating the partly outdated environmental regulatory framework.