Set Clear Goals, Targets, And Roadmap To Reduce Carbon Emissions

The UAE has a very crucial and important role to play on climate change at the upcoming COP28 conference by suggesting tangible solutions, clear goals and roadmap to reduce the carbon emissions, says Liron Zaslansky, Consul General of Israel in Dubai.

“We are confident that the UAE will host a successful COP28 conference and address the main challenges on the agenda by suggesting tangible solutions and practical approaches on climate change,” Gideon Behar, Ambassador and Special Envoy for climate Change and Sustainability, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel, said during an interview at the Consulate General of Israel in Dubai.

The United Nations climate change conference (COP28) will take place at the Expo City in Dubai from November 30 until December 12 to evolve a comprehensive plan to address the challenges posed by environmental issues.

The two-week long event will be participated in by heads of state, ministers, leading corporate companies and environment experts to suggest practical measures to contain damage control and resolve climate issues.

“A high-powered Israeli delegation, led by its President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will attend the climate change conference (COP28) to be held in Dubai in November,” Behar said, adding that the ministers, NGOs, academia, leading companies in public and private sector will also participate in the event.

“We will have a national pavilion at COP28, and it will concentrate on presenting solutions to climate crisis. One of the key reasons for slow progress on climate issues is that we are short of solutions. It is our responsibility to present practical solutions at the conference,” he said.

“We want to see COP28 a big success and Israel has a lot to offer to fight climate change,” he said. “While we respect the UAE for taking several climate change initiatives, it is a global issue that affects economy, trade, and every sphere of life. We’re looking forward towards bilateral cooperation with the UAE in the field of climate change during COP28 and that cooperation goes beyond COP28.

“We must minimise impact of climate change and introduce policy measures to ensure global economy is aligned with the Paris Agreement goals to reduce CO2 emissions. Global economy will have to adapt to climate change and take this challenge seriously,” he added.

Israeli initiatives

In reply to question, Behar said Israel has taken many initiatives to reduce the CO2 emissions and address challenges being posed by climate change.

Referring to some of the Israeli initiatives on climate change, he said Israel is one of the world’s leading countries in the field of climate innovation offering solutions to the challenges. Elaborating, he said world food supply has become seriously threatened by climate change, water shortages, and desertification, but Israeli agriculture can provide a necessary solution in this regard.

“Precision agriculture, drip irrigation, hydroponic agriculture, greenhouses, the development of disease-resistant strains, the rehabilitation of soils that have undergone erosion and salination processes, streamlining efficiency in water use in agriculture, the use of brackish water, and more, are excellent examples of this,” he said.

“Another example of this is the method developed by the Volcani Centre that reduces the loss of grains stored in ‘silo’ containers to just half a per cent. Water is another area where Israel is leading the world, and if we could better share Israel’s experience and capabilities, we would be able to bring relief to many of the world’s misfortunes” he said.

In water purification and recycling and water desalination, he said Israel is a global power, holding a global record — close to 95 per cent of its wastewater is purified and recycled for use in agriculture.

“If this was the recycling rate in the entire world, it would reduce the amount of greenhouse gases, prevent environmental pollution, and the destruction of natural ecosystem, and simultaneously provide treated and purified water for the environment and for use in agriculture,” he said.

He said Israel also holds a global record in the prevention of water loss in urban systems.

“We have developed a wide variety of technologies and methods to prevent water loss in supply systems. And if these methods were widely implemented across the world, it would significantly contribute to reducing the effects of the climate crisis,” he said.

Israel, which aims to be net zero in 2050, emits only 0.2 per cent of the total global CO2 emissions. It purifies 95 per cent of its water and also minimises leaks as all the water is metered and measured, giving monitors insight into where and when losses occur.

Adaptation, resilience

Behar said Israel can be a leading global player offering solutions to the climate crisis, both in adaptation and resilience as well as in the mitigation of emissions.

“At the regional level, Israel can invest its efforts towards building regional cooperation, reducing risk, and maximizing benefits for the countries of the region. The Abraham Accords have undoubtedly made a significant contribution to this,” he said.

To a question, he underlined the need to boost regional and international collaboration on climate issues. “We want to see more cooperation between Israel and other regional countries to promote solutions to climate crisis. We are keen to promote regional climate resilience and every country of the Middle East should go for climate adaptation and climate resilience.

“The organisation of regional climate weeks by the UNFCCC in the Mena, Caribbean, Africa, Latin America and Asia, to create awareness on climate change as well as prepare plans on national, regional, and international level to fight climate change is very important. It is equally important to channel more resources and money to address environmental issues,” he said.

He said the private sector should also come forward for joint efforts on climate change and allocate more resources for adaptation, mitigation, capacity building and technologies.

“We are not short of resources, but it must be channeled and allocated to support the climate and environment,” he said, adding that the investment in projects should be aligned with support to climate and environment.

“We should find untapped resources for climate finance. There is enough money in the world, but it has to be channeled in right projects that can benefit climate, nature, and human beings,” he said.

—muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com