Israel Climate Change

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I. Climate change is, without a doubt, one of the most serious challenges facing the twenty first century world. Human survival and the development of all countries are at stake, rendering cooperation and joint efforts by the international community absolutely essential. It is therefore unsurprising that countries worldwide have placed climate change high on their list of environmental priorities. Israel is no different. Fully aware of the seriousness and urgency of reducing greenhouse gas levels, and with a deep sense of responsibility for the long-term development of mankind, the State of Israel is firmly committed to a sustainable development and realises the unprecedented need to reduce green house gas emissions in the atmosphere.

Although classified Israel was classified as a developing country under the Climate Change Convention, a comparison of carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion between Israel and other countries shows that Israel is not far behind some of the developed countries listed in Annex I. The State of Israel has therefore resolved to undertake voluntary activities to restrict and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases on the basis of the conclusions of the interministerial committee on climate change.                                                                               There is no doubt that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere will have numerous, long term effects on the State of Israel: a reduction of at least 25% of water availability by the end of the 21st century; a 10cm rise in sea level may lead to coastline retreat of 2-10 meters and to the loss of 0.4-2 square kilometres of coast every 10 years; increase in mosquito populations and their distributions may increase risk of diseases such as malaria; damage to crops due to decrease in water availability; migrations of Mediterranean species northward and their replacement by desert ecosystems from the Negev and an average long-term increase in electricity demand in the order of 3.2% a year.                                                                       Israel is also aware of the current lack of water in the Middle East and the severe issues of desertification. Israel firmly believes that the next Middle East war could be over water rights. Therefore, the State of Israel realises the unprecedented rate of climate change advancement and the potential threat such impact could exert on its economic and social development, and also on the environment.  

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II. The Biodiversity Convention 1995, Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Vienna Convention for Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, and Copenhagen Accord are but a few of the treaties and international agreements that the State of Israel is a party to. In addition, as a party to the UNFCCC since May 1996, and as a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol since December 1998, the State of Israel is fully committed to fulfilling its obligations to renew measures towards stabilisation of green house gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

III.Israel assumes responsibility for a rise of 17% of CO2 levels in the atmosphere since 1996. Moreover, Israel is ...

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